Fate Dream Coma
by ArowaRimu
Summary: A sudden change, the appearance of the mark. I saw the blood of innocents spilled. A war starts, a role is pushed into my hands. This completion of objectives is not without reward. A wish to be granted. Am I in a blissful dream, or trapped in cold coma?
1. Chapter 0: Prologue

**Author's Note:**

**A war between figures of legends, ever since reading the story, there have been times when my mind wondered beyond what I knew. What would be the outcome if the role of a Master fell on a totally average character? How would one cope in such a situation? Hm, I wonder as well...**

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><p><strong>Chapter 0: Prologue – Just Another Day<strong>

The day starts out like any other, amidst the sea of light, the silence of my house broke as soon as the birds started chirping their morning song. As the ray of the sun illuminates past the window and into the house, I begin to feel serene, relaxed. The light, like a gentle mother's touch, strokes across the hall, brightening up everything from the fuzzy sofa to solid, wooden stairs. Grabbing a bite on the toast I prepared, I sat at the dinner table alone, staring out to the living room, the daze getting to my head. After a few moments, my eyes finally landed on the ticking grandfather clock sitting at the corner.

"Oh no! I'm late, I'm late!" The line felt like it had been said more than it needed these few days. Stuffing whatever breakfast left on my plate into my mouth, I ran, towards the entrance as soon as I could, hastily putting on my shoes. With my bag sitting right beside the doors, I only had to grab it as I pushed the door open. Grinning at the convenience, I took a moment to recall the reason why it was there, and laughed.

It was placed there just for the off-chance I was ever late. Glad that it worked, I carefully locked the doors to my house despite my rush, and dash off right as the last lock clicked

"Wha! I almost forgot!" The doors fly open as I unlocked everything again while crying out. Hopping into the house after taking off the shoes, I clap my hands together as I stop in front of the altar near the entrance.

A simple, elevated space. No traces of dust can be seen, with only two objects sitting in the middle of the altar. They are two traditional wooden tablets, with the name _Hara Kazue _and _Hara Sho_ carved on the face of the wood. Of course, there is a reason why the house has been so empty. Mom and Dad is gone... has gone off to a better place now. They left me with the responsibility of taking care of the house, so I am not gonna let them down!

"Mom, Dad, good morning! I'm off to school, all right?" I whisper the words, my voice ringing into the house. Whether it is prayer or not, It did not felt right to use the excuse of being late to ignore Mom and Dad. Of all the values Mom and Dad stressed about, courtesy stood at the top. Gently closing the door, I burst into a sprint as soon as I could.

My name is Hara Akemi.

I am just your average, everyday girl, who tries her best to keep her cool when talking to cute guys, and to look neat and tidy wherever she goes. My golden hair blown back by the wind, I dodge and hop my way past the obstacles on the street as my sprint never slowed in its step. The City glows in the morning sun, roaring with activity as the day starts at its fullest. As footsteps and chatter broke the silence, I run past the traffic light, a zooming car zipping behind me as soon as I stepped onto the other side.

Adjusting my wrangled ribbons back to place, both on my head and the one on my uniform, the minor divergence of attention caused me to nearly trip over a crack on the concrete floor.

Running pass the park, a tall guy, with his sparkling white hair, glowing in the sun, came into my sights. He stood by the gates, his eyes wide open, his face unchanging, like a puppet's. His skin pale, they reminded me of the snow of winter, looking whiter than my own. I had one look, but it was enough to make me feel extremely intrigued, curiosity pushing its way into my mind. Questions appear in my mind in-between my hurried steps.

Who is he? Why does he look so still, so lifeless?

Concern for the mere stranger feels out of place, but the urge is so strong I had to force myself to look away so I could stop thinking about him. The guy disappears from my sight, and a sudden feeling of loss hit me. My legs smack against the floor with each step as the wrenching feeling pulls against my heart.

Strange, why do I feel like this?

Distracted by my own thoughts, I arrive at the school gates before the next blink of my eyes. I remind myself of how late it was already, and pushed my tired legs, forcing my body onwards. With only a minute left, I slid through the door and scrambled to my seat.

"Huff.. Puff.. Huff.." Slinking into my seat, the sound of my heavy breathing filled the room despite my attempts to quiet down.

Regaining focus, I open my eyes to the usual, bland layout of my classroom. A subtle color fills the floor and the walls, complimented by the equally boring dark spots that is the tables and chairs. It is a sight I had been seeing for six months now, since the start of the school year. To be frank, I am sick of staring at the class. Trying to find new points of interest only got me so far. With the teacher walking in, the voice of my class slowly dissolves with each tick of the clock, my attention slowly defeated by the dreariness of today's lecture.

Th dull lesson continues, each word uttered from the teacher sublimates into the boredom induced by the morning sun. I looked out the window, out to the calm, wavering leaves hanging from the tree branches, desperate for a focus.

I wonder, what is he doing right now? Is he still standing there, alone at the park?

I begin to recall what I saw amidst the morning rush. The chaotic noise of the city in the memory dies down as the guy come into mind. Looking into the calm, blue sky, his smooth, gentle white hair was the next thing I remember, followed by his lonely look and passive eyes, wide open as he looked out towards the bustling streets of the city. Almost as if he was longing for it, like he wanted to be a part of it. I feel sadness in my heart as the image linger within the darkness of my mind.

Huh? Why do I feel so sad for a stranger I saw off the streets?

The sun slowly shift its way across the sky, and before I know it, school ends, and the talk of the class resumes. My movement monotonous, my hands carefully pack my possessions into my bag as students starts to leave the classroom itself. Though the chatter goes on, you will find none of my classmate coming to me for a chat. I feel like I am getting ignored, but it has always been this way.

Like a shadow invisible to the class, I walk out of the class with my eyes closed and quiet breath.

Passing the endless doors, the hallway keeps on going. With brisk steps, I make my way towards the end of the corridor. As the tapping of my steps went on and on, my walk turns into a jog as I got more and more excited. The sound of my steps ends at the final door, and as I push it open, I could feel a small smile stretching across my face.

"He believes in his ideals, in everything he's known..." I recite the story out loud before I knew it, sitting down in the seat by the corner of the room. Rows and columns of of books, reports, collections are placed against the walls, the light shining from the one big window, looking out to the fields. "Against all odds, he came out alive. Not only did he survived, but he also impressed, and thus, his story became immortalized in song and legend..."

In the Historian club, I continue reading my favorite story, the knight who prevailed.

"Hara-san?" The calm voice ask out my name, in a low, familiar tone.

Hm? Did somebody call my name?

My eyes still reading the book by the words, I try my best to look up to the source of the voice, but the story's pull was too strong for that.

"Hara-san, when did you get a tattoo?" This time, it was so loud it made my body jump. I jerk my head up and see a guy with a pair of white, sleek glasses. He is a member of the Historian club as well, but that is not important. What is important is the news he just screamed out.

And there it is, on the top side of my hand, a round, symmetrical design spread over the skin in deep red. It looks alien, a puzzle-like symbol smack dab in the middle, surrounded by six arms stretching out. The position remind me of they form three pair of wings.

"Ah! When did that get there?"

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><p><strong>Phew, that took a while, even when it's just a prologue. Slowly, the story progresses, do you guys find it interesting? Or perhaps everything feels rather dull and boring? The chapter ends with the appearance of the Master's seal! It's my first time trying out a story in present tense as well! I look forward to hearing your thoughts in your reviews!<strong>


	2. Chapter 1: Appearance Of The Mark

**Author's Note:**

**As you might have noticed, the Mark has appeared. Whether you understand the meaning of it or not, things are certainly going to change for Akemi. But, the most alarming idea and problem that has surfaced in her mind is a more trivial and realistic one.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Appearance Of The Mark<strong>

"I don't believe it! T-There's a tattoo on my hand!" I scream out as panic came over me, jumping out of the chair I sat in. I push my eyes wide open to get a clearer look, partly hoping that what I see was just an illusion. The symbol only gets more detailed, dyed in a deep red color that reminds me of those pentagrams they always showed in those movies regarding demons. At the thought, beads of sweat appear on my forehead as a chilling wind blew against my body, sending a chill down my spine. The strange thing is that I am currently in-doors, and all the windows are shut tight.

Raising my hand as I look to the afternoon sky outside, the symbol looks alien and it feels more and more creepy as my eyes look at it.

Ah, I have to get rid of it! It's so red, like blood, and the design just feels so weird!

Before I know it, the book I had in my hand is put away, and by instinct, I begin to scrub and rub on the skin the tattoo is etched on.

"Ugh.. C'mon.." I mutter out the words, hoping the mark will disappear each time I scrubbed. With each passing second, my action gets more and more desperate each time I see the tattoo re-appearing. Irritated, I find myself tapping vigorously on the wooden floor of the Historian's library.

"Why won't you just disappear?" I cry out as I feel something wet around my eyes. At the peak of my frustration and panic, a pair of hands pull mine apart, stopping the motion and calming me down a bit.

Realization hit me, and I turn around to see Sato holding on to my arms. In regular uniform, Sato held on in silence for a few minutes, giving me time to recollect myself. His eyes, hidden behind the glass and the white linings of his spectacles, show how worried he is. It seems he is no longer surprised from the sight of my tattoo. A few inches up and I lay eyes on his short, neat hair, deep brown in color, which never sway in the wind. His touch, his grip feels gentle, yet stiff, strong, and I could also feel a hint of warmth pulsing from his hands as well.

"Uh... Sato-kun? You can let go now..." I voice out the words, my tone dying down as each word comes out. Feeling feverish, I began to feel slightly woozy as the scene continues.

"Are you done overreacting?" Sato-kun asks out as he release my arms, the relief showing on his face as he notice I stopped trying to rub away the tattoo. Closing my eyes, I give out a deep breathe before looking at the mark again. The wings spreading out reminds me of the hieroglyphics you can find in pyramids, but the cube design in the middle looks futuristic in contrast. The worst thing is that it isn't something small, conspicuous. Certainly, anyone would notice it as I casually swing my arm out while walking down the street.

"Hara-san?" Sato's voice called out my name once more, but it gets pushed away as my thoughts spiral, holding hands with my wild imagination.

Surely, it is not as bad as I imagine. It may be a mark, a tattoo, but it is just one, blood red symbol, right? If I go out on a date with a handsome guy, all dressed up, we would hold hands as we walk down the street . He would chat with me about how pretty I look, the interests we have in common. Then he would catch sight of the mark, and flinched back surprised, pulling back his hand in reflex. It would probably change his opinion on me, no matter how cute I looked before. Worst case scenario, he kicks out a random excuse to leave right away, leaving me alone in the cold, dark street.

Years later I would find myself trying to get a job, attending interviews. At the face of my boss, the first thing he would notice is why such a girl like myself would even thought of getting something like a tattoo etched deep into my skin, and of course, he would turn biased against me, and push me away. Then, I would live out my life poor and alone, shunned off by society, in my cold, dilapidated house.

"... I-Is that it? Is this how someone starts going down the wrong path in life? Is this how someone becomes a NEET?" Throwing out my random thoughts, I turn from side to side, arms flailing about as a variety of expressions appears on my face, the influence of the many emotions I feel. "It's over..." I whine as depression settle in, giving up as the many images from my imagination fill my mind.

"Sigh... Just what is going on in that mind of yours?" Sato's voice finally get through to me, as I turn to him with teary eyes. It felt like I could cry at any moment. "Come on, we'll call it a day here, let's go find a way to fix this mess." Sato declares as he pushes me out the Historian's library by my shoulders since my legs are locked in place by the sense of depression that loomed above my head like a black cloud. As we are the only two members of the club, we can get away with things like early release from the club as long as we do not do it too often.

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><p>Walking out of the school through the front gates, the orange light of the setting sun fills the blue, cloudless sky. Occasionally, the winter wind would blow at us, its breath so strong I have to push down my skirt and endure the chill that washes over my body. I look around and see no other students in sight, and that made me realize maybe we stayed in the club longer than I expected. As I find myself lost staring at the beautiful scene that is the sky, a blazer suddenly placed itself over my shoulders, followed by a nudge on my back.<p>

"You okay? You look like you were shivering a lot." Sato's concern as he walk to my side made me feel all warm and dizzy, heat pouring out from my face as I look into his eyes. "Wow, your face is all red!" He tease me with a smile, placing his finger on the tip of my nose. I am pretty sure he did it to calm me down, unfortunately, it only makes me flare up even more.

Calming down as I walk by his side, my eyes find themselves slowly shifting to Sato's side every few seconds. For some reason, I really want to stare at his face. But every time I realize how strange that must be, I break eye contact and instinctively turn to face the other side. A t the same time, my head fills itself with thoughts.

Sato Masaru. The only other member of the Historian Club, as well as the club's president. Hidden behind his white specs is a guy who is kind, helpful and hardworking. He always agrees to any request other students ask of him, and does his best to complete the job given to him. He even allows other students outside the club to make use of our library for their reports, even though they usually leave the books all over the place, and he's the one to clean it up. Every time I see Sato cleaning without a single complaint, I do my best to help him out as his fellow club member.

His only weak point is his shyness. For the most part, he would prefer to watch and observe the things happening, preferring to give his voice only when he thinks it's really needed. Turning to look at the blazer he put around my shoulders, I realize I did not feel cold anymore.

He said he saw me shivering, was it really that obvious that I was feeling cold? I never knew Sato's such a gentleman. Certainly, I could not have figured it out myself.

"Tap. Tap. Tap."

Our footsteps fills the silence of the school, as after I fail to reply to his teasing, Sato went all quiet. Wondering if he is angry at me for ignoring him, I turn to check on him, only to see his eyes in a serious light, staring out in front of us. He looks like his mind is deep in thoughts, so much that he could pay little attention to anything else.

"Wh-whoa!" Sato suddenly cry out, surprising us both, as he nearly trip over a crack on the road. Out of balance, he hop to the front, bending over and throwing his arms out to regain stability. His eyes pop wide open from the surprise, breaking out of the seriousness they were in. Looking past his glasses, the little incident leaves an embarrassed look on his face.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" I cannot help but break out laughing after seeing how amusing his face is. Glad that what just happened broke the painful silence we were having, Sato and I continue on the road towards the city.

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><p>Soon we reach the main streets of the City. Even as the sky had been dipped in a sea of black ink, the City remains as lively as it was this morning, with crowds of people chatting and laughing with each other, all while making their way from one shop to another. Under the bright lampposts that lights the road, we push our way through the crowd, with Sato holding to my hand tightly as he leads me into the sea of people. Usually, I am too afraid to even step on the streets because of the many people that always frequent the roads, in fear of being drowned out in the crowd, but with Sato here with me, it feels a little bit easier.<p>

I actually saw a man with a broad build, white hair and a full beard of hair in rag tag clothes that reminded me of a pirate wandering in the street, stumbling at his steps. He is probably just another homeless guy roaming around. We went from store to store, asking if they know anyway of removing a tattoo, or at least concealing it. In between our steps, Sato also asks question regarding the mark itself.

"So you never went into any tattoo parlor to get that tattoo?" He continues his questioning while looking forward as we move through the crowd. I reply by shaking my head vigorously from side to side as I feel my face heating up, the question robbing me of any words to say.

I can't believe he can ask such a question with a straight face!

"Could it be you just... maybe... drew it with red marker while dreaming last night?" This time, he asks out the most random question in the world, complete with a chuckle.

"Sato-kun!" I yell out, jumping at him and hitting his back, annoyed that he could manage to crack such a joke like that. As we walk onwards, I keep getting the urge to turn and look to the rooftops, as if there was something there. Every time I do, I only come to see an empty scene with the light of the moon falling down behind, followed by a streak of lightning across a cloudless sky.

Huh, must be my own imagination.

"All right, all right, we've been walking for a while now, I'll go in and ask the next shop while you rest, okay?" Even as he gave the question, he dodge his way into the far too quickly for me to object. In the end, waiting outside, I do as I was told and rested a few feet away from the entrance of the shop.

Looking out to sea of people, their faces stranger to me, they keep on moving from one side to another in a almost hypnotizing manner. The sound of their murmuring rang through my ears, only getting louder as my eyes look towards them and each second pass by. The stress began to feel unbearable. Their voices, the way they talk, their laughs, all converging into a lump of noise, stinging and wrenching my mind.

"Huff... Puff..." Soon, it gets more and more difficult to breathe, and it feels lik the hottest night I have ever been in.

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump._

I could hear my blood pulsing with each throb, the sound of my heart-beat pounding in my head. My palm begin to feel wet, and as I look at my hands, they keep shaking and shaking. The difficulty of maintaining my focus steadily drops, and weakness slowly crawl onto my body. I feel like my body would just drop and faint right there.

"There she is."

Multiple voices and sentences yells out in my mind.

"She's one of them."

They keep calling out to me, so much that it got painful even to think.

"Her vital signs seems stable."

The voices seems to come from every direction, bombarding my mind as they blended in with the chatter of the crowd.

"She has been chosen!"

As they get louder, I pull my arms to clutch my head, a splitting headache forming from the chaotic torrent of sound and noise. I shut my eyes at the pain, and I start to lose my balance as well, swaying from side to side. As I force my eyes open to satisfy this urge within me, my eyes dart all over the place, from the roof, to the road, to the sea of people clamoring about. Desperate, I keep searching for something. It is strange that nobody notice the pain I am suffering, they just keep ignoring as they walked by. Some even stop to give me their looks of surprise and disgust, before walking away.

That is when my eyes stop at a particular figure standing amidst the sea of faces. The grayed out figures would walk pass me, blocking my sight for a few seconds, but I can still clearly make out the person's features.

A black figure, in a shadow shroud. Long lengths of dark cloth twirl and wrap around the body, the symbols on the cloth glowing as they swirl in the wind. The figure looks emaciated, with extremely long, bone like limbs, gnarled by a black piece of skin that barely held everything together.

For some reason, I keep getting the feeling that it is a woman, though the figure looks nothing like it. Standing in silence, she look like a stature, piercing me with her glowing, yellow eyes. She does not look human.

Then the wind started picking up. Grains of sand hit my face, scratching against my skin. That was when I lay eyes on a horrible sight. The people around her suddenly freeze in their tracks. The muscle around their body, their face started shriveling up, as if the water was being sucked out of them. As the gale slice through the air, the flesh of those frozen is torn from the bones, the blood being carried away by the wind. The crimson wind then centers around the black figure, and is absorbed into the monster.

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump._

I want to scream, but the constant beating of my heart held back my voice. Convulsions began wrecking my body, forcing my arms to fly all over the place and my legs nearly losing the strength to stand. Even as everything happen, my steps force my body back, slowly, one foot at a time. At the time, I really want to just turn around and run, and freak out when I realize it is impossible.

One step at a time is all I can get out of my body when the immense fear clash with my senses.

Out of nowhere, a hand touch my shoulder, and with a sharp blink of my eyes, the figure disappeared.

"Hara-san?" At his voice, I realize Sato had emerged from the shop. "Are you all right? You look really pale." He continue to ask, with a concern and worry in his eyes. The noise that plagued me before vanished, the sound of the crowds now a whisper compared to before. In my mind, I began to freak out as the multiple images I saw keeps coming up.

What's happening? Who or what did I just see? The blood, the flesh. Ugh!

I feel like throwing up. Devoid of any strength left to properly answer Sato, I lean on him for support, deciding to explain what I just experienced in another time. Stumbling on my feet, we continue down the street, trying to find a solution to the mark on my hand. Despite how tired I had become, I decide to force myself to move so that Sato would not get too worried. I fear I am going mad, and I feel like bawling out buckets of tears. Too bad I do not even have the strength for that.

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><p><strong>Whew, that certainly took some imagination to write! Who is the mysterious figure that appeared before Akemi? Was it all something her mind made up, because of her fear of crowds? Or perhaps something worse? Well, the story continues! Keep a look out for the next chapter!<strong>


	3. Chapter 2: The Storm Begins

**Author's Note:**

**Oh yeah, it's been a blast completing the story of Fate/Extra! The ideals really touched me, and gave me an idea of how different everyone's beliefs can be. I can only hope my character's stories can touch my reader's heart as well!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: The Storm Begins.<strong>

A cold wind gently slide itself across my skin like the touch from a finger, as the scene open up to a wide, black sky, multiple stars glow and shine, preventing the dark from filling up everything. My steps stumbled, even as Sato supports me, as we make our way across the wide, open field, each step pressing onto cold grass. Away from the chaotic city, the sudden calm and peaceful feel is surprising, but welcome. I may have not noticed it, but throughout our little trip through the crowded streets, Sato never stopped helping me out, it feels very much like I was being pampered, like a princess, as he held on to my hand.

But I could only ignore his touch for so long, and soon the sound of my heartbeat gets louder and louder every time I lay eyes of him, every time I think of his kind actions. I try to distract myself by looking at the black cycling glove I am wearing over my left hand, the only solution we could think of to the tattoo was to hide it away. Of plain design, my fingers wriggle out from the holes with tattered edges, the fingertips are left exposed.

"Ah..." My voice of relief is released, breaking through the many sounds of insects chirping in the night, as I took a seat down on the cold grass. The night sky is beautiful, a deep, jet black color that sparks off feelings of curiosity and a sense of wonder. Like a mother, it cuddles the many tiny stars hanging by her side.

With both my hands pushing down on the cold, soft blades of grass, it took me a while before I notice Sato is not sitting beside me, my hand no longer locked with his.

Turning my eyes, I see him standing in strong stature a few feet away, looking up to the moon. From my angle below, his brown hair shines in the misty moonlight descending from the night-sky. His eyes are serious, with furrowing brows and a glisten of what looks like worry. But nowhere within the light of his eyes shows helplessness, and he stands with his back straight, as if ready for whatever he is going against.

Is he in trouble? Is he going to be? He just looks so... worried, so... alone.

As I continue looking at him, curious about just what is bothering him about, I feel a warm wave of emotions coming over my face as I realize I had been staring at his face for a quite a while, turning away flustered.

When calmness returns, I pick myself up to ask the question that keeps popping into my mind.

"Sato-kun?" My voice, a high tone of words slowly mumbling out, feels gentle and innocent. Perhaps it was the tiredness that had come over me from the trip to the city, or maybe I am afraid to know whatever answer Sato is going to give. Whatever it was, I only know I want to hear Sato tell me. He looks like he needed it. Again, Sato turn to me, and as he realize how his emotions are translated on his face, quickly wipe it off.

"Hm?" His answer is so short, and he gives it out with a dazed and uninterested tone, as he walks to my side, taking his seat beside me. In the peaceful, empty field, I see him push away his own problems to face me.

"What are you so worried about? Why do you look like you're in pain?" I shoot forth each word, my question without thinking, tilting my head as I do. When I finally realize how insensitive I was, I quickly try to pull back my words and apologize, with my cheeks feeling hot, like they are going red. I have no real reason to know, and I do not feel like I have to the right to ask such things from Sato. It could be a personal issue.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!"

To my surprise, he burst out laughing, before sighing with a smile. Sato's eyes turn to the sides, as if he is contemplating on a decision, the seriousness returns. For some reason, he looks more worried now than ever. As we continue sitting there, under the beauty of the night-sky, I feel like I am in a different world from the one I was in this morning. I decide that he could answer when he is ready, and so time just ticks by as I wait. Strangely, the responsibilities and problems of the everyday life seems to disappear as we watch the stars that fills the sky.

"Hmph. It's so unfair, you know..." Sato begins his explanation, his eyes now hidden by his specs, preventing me from telling what he feels. He sound sad, his words slow and dejected, his shoulders falling slightly as he continued. "You'll be dragged into this mess, a stranger to the magi world, so clueless as to what is going to happen..." He continues his strange explanation, leaving me more and more confused as I listened. Sadness seems to etch itself into my heart slowly as the tone of his words reach my ears. "I just want to prevent anyone from being hurt as consequence of this war..." He declares, clenching his fingers into a fist, his hands shaking with determination.

Sato's answer left me with wide eyes. No word comes into mind no matter how much I want to comfort him, or even to ask him what danger his words were referring to. I stare at the guy who seems to be a completely different person from when he was at school. That is when he turns to me, and pushed a strange looking object that looked like an oversized, metallic button, into my hands.

A technological item, plates of metal surrounding a clear glowing center. No matter how much I look at it, it does not look like anything I had ever seen. When Sato catches the sight of my face struck by confusion, he only flashes me a smile. "Don't worry, you're gonna be needing that, trust me." Once again, he speaks of a coming danger, not only is the event happening to him, but it feels like I am a part of it as well. Trying to figure out who exactly is this guy named Sato Masaru, my fatigue had all but disappeared in the howling wind of the night.

"Chink. Chink. Chink. Chink."

The sound shoots itself into the silence, one burst at a time, originating from behind us. It is a metallic, screeching sound, of metal hitting metal, scratching against each other, unlike any sound I ever heard before. At first, we think nothing of it, pushing it back and ignoring it, as though it is one of the many sounds resonating through the night, but as it gets louder and louder, each sound tenses up our body, leaving me and Sato staring at each other confused. A few seconds later, we no longer feel alone in the vast, open fields. It is obvious that somebody or something is making their way towards us.

Is it a vehicle? In these fields? No way! But, what else could produce such sounds?

Whatever it is, we find ourselves getting up on our feet almost instinctively. Just as my knees snap straight to push my body up, a wave of murderous intent wash over my body, essentially locking me in place. The hair on the back of my neck immediately shoots up as the strange fear, one in which you do not know what you are afraid of, spreads throughout my body slowly like a seeping poison. With what movement I can afford, I shift my eyes to see if Sato is feeling the same. Indeed, he looks frozen, but his brows furrows even sharper than before. While I am left stunned, Sato is already pushing himself to turn to face what was coming towards us from the back.

_Ba-dump._

Slowly, my sight turn to face a man clad in silver armor. He is covered by plates from head to toe, the armor adorned by what looks like design from medieval times, his head completely kept out of sight behind his helmet. How weird it is that I could not discern a person's presence as he slowly takes one step in front of another, the clanking sound ringing louder with each step. If he had just stood there, I would have mistaken him for a statue. When my eyes slowly drift down to his hands, that is when shock get a hold on the rest of my body.

A giant axe, emblazoned with a golden design of sea and dragons. It looks ancient, but at the same time glistens like it is brand new. The iron clad figure continues forward, the giant axe seems weightless in his right hand, even though its size suggests that it is meant as a two hander. Another look towards us sent out a powerful force spreading out from his body, so strong that I nearly fell back down to the ground. The feeling leave my knees shivering and shaking just by the sheer power of his presence.

"Kuh...! A Servant?" Even as stunned as I am, I can feel Sato tensing up even more, his fists and fingers are practically shaking. But for some reason, he does not look afraid, just... nervous. Excited even. Immediately, the strange object in my hand flashes as it comes to life, the glowing center flashing off a bright, golden light. So bright that my hands are raised to shield my eyes.

When the light-show cleared, a projection is left shining forth from the object Sato gave me. The light depicted a hologram of the figure before us, arrows stretching forth and pointing to strange ranks like Strength and Endurance, all of which is filled with three question marks.

"Huh?" As crazy and chaotic as everything is, I find it difficult to follow every strange occurrence happening at once. My eyes dart from the armed stranger to how agitated Sato is getting to the strange light bursting forth from the object in my hands.

"Ka-chik."

A loud sound clicked behind my ear when my attention turned towards the hologram, snapping me back to the present situation. In the frantic change of situations, my paralysis vanishes, and as if out of nowhere, Sato pulls out a gun and aims it at the armored figure. With beads of sweat forming on his forehead, I had my eyes glued to the dangerous weapon Sato now wields in his hand, as he calms himself and steadies his aim, the slight shivering in his hands disappearing before my eyes. With a puff, his panting breath goes completely calm, and a fierce look appears in his eyes.

"Leave her alone! I won't let you touch her!" My club president roars out in fierce resolve, so much that it scares me.

"Bang!"

The extremely loud eruption from the gun exploded as its first shot is fired, so booming is the sound that I flinch as it tore at my eardrums, causing me to shut my eyes immediately, bringing my palms to cover my ears. It is a terrible, life threatening sound, that accelerated my heartbeat and forced it to go all irregular, pounding louder and faster than before. It is too much, and I jumped back at shock, horror and disbelief. Before I hit the ground, I manage to open my eyes slightly, to see if Sato was the really the one who fired such a fearful weapon, as if I cannot find myself to believe it. He stands unfaltering even after he fired that gun, his face unchanging.

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump._

"Impossible! He sliced the bullet in its mid-flight?" Sato cried out in disbelief, as more sweat fall from his forehead. His tone of voice is harsh, and strong, bringing me back from my shock. As I stared at him with wide eyes, I realize my body is pushing itself back, stumbling with my arms and legs.

Why, why does Sato have such a weapon with him? Was he carrying it in his pocket all this time?

I freak out, panicking at the the sight I lay eyes on. Everything strike me so suddenly, the man in armor, silent assailant, is he a danger? My eyes jump to him at the thought, when I hear a dozen more bullets shooting forth from the front of me. The iron figure charges, ramming his way and closing what little distance he has with the bullets. In three swings, he cuts into the air itself, and when the howling of the chops stops, all the bullets fell onto the grass, shining under the light of the moon is twenty four pieces of metal, all of the bullets sliced up.

The inhuman giant continues his charge in silence, but the intent practically exploding forth from his presence almost forced me to scream out as loud as I can. It takes all of my strength to push it back. In one instant, the silver warrior is a few feet away, and the next, his fearful visage pops in front of us.

"Uuurrraaaggghhh!" As if in a frantic bid to gain more ground between the enemy and himself, Sato screams out, sticking his fingers together like a sword, and drive them into the enemy's breastplate. Just when I think of how futile that is going to be however, multiple lines of bright, glowing green light surges to his shoulders to his wrist then to his fingers. And I watch as his fingertips break through solid metal, rupturing the plate as cracks spreads from the area he pierced. In the slight second the enemy is left stunned, Sato pulls from his back an extendable staff, and again, imbues it with the same green light flowing forth from what looks like his veins.

There it is again! What is that?

Despite his armor compromised, the man hidden behind the helmet never relented in his attack, bringing down the ornate axe in a giant arc once more. In an act of reflex, I watch as Sato swings one end of his staff to the other hand, bringing the horizontal staff cup to try and shield himself from the incoming attack.

But, how can a staff deflect the heavy strike that is to come from an axe?

"Creak!"

The next instant, when the blinding light faded enough for me to open my eyes, my back is lying on the cold grass as I witness the two combatants locked in their fight. The force of the swing indeed slammed itself onto the staff, but it did not slice it apart as I expected. Loud screeching sounds of metal pushing against metal cut into my ears. As if empowered by the green light from before, Sato's staff glowed blue, veins spreading out as he across the smooth metal surface of his weapon as he held is ground against the man in silver armor.

Difficult as it is to believe, Sato is slowly pushing the man back. The thought of Sato prevailing calms me down a bit, a small smile stretching across my face. The feeling vanished completely in the next second.

"He is expendable."

A cold, calculative voice gives off his comment. It sounds like the words, the voice, suddenly spoke in my mind. Like a signal, it pushes the fight I am watching to the next phase. In another huge pulse of intent, the wave blowing my hair back, I see the axe breaking through the staff,and a tinge of fear emerges from my heart. Just when I think it is just my imagination, that Sato would somehow get himself out of any immediate danger, the golden hulk of a weapon rips through the glowing piece like a hot knife through butter. Shock and disbelief erupts into Sato's face, taken aback by the sudden burst of strength.

"Kkkllleeetttccchhh."

No sound is given out, even as the wound split his torso. The giant piece of metal never stopped after breaking through Sato's defense, and as it continues falling, it digs into the flesh and the bones, crunching through whatever that is in the way ending in a giant scar down to his waist. The beautifully sculpted weapon is tainted by bright red, stained by crimson blood. Sato's face tells me he cannot accept what has happened, and he starts to fall with a blank look in his eyes. That one second had cost him his life. I do not know why, but my head tells me he is going to die, no matter how much I push the thought away. The metallic smell of blood soon engulfs my senses.

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump._

My heartbeat, the throbbing makes it hard to think, the constant convulsions hitting every part of my body makes it difficult to move. The sight of my friend dying before me leaves a profound effect within my very soul.

"...S-Sato-kun?" It is strange enough that I can still speak, a blink of my eyes shows me already at Sato's side. Confusion wrecks my mind, my hands shakes him, crying out for him to wake up. His eyes are already closed, his skin as cold as stone. The warm blood is quickly turning cold, the puddle pouring out from his massive wound, drowning the grass around him in a puddle of red. "Sato-kun! Sato-kun! Masaru, wake up!" My voice increases in intensity, I feel like I will do anything just to see my club president open his eyes and say that it is okay with a smile.

The face of one of the only guys who spoke to me at school blurs, and the feeling of wetness appears in my eyes, my teardrops slowly starting to fall. A soft glow begins filling into my vision.

"Chink."

The same sound, the clanking of the armor, slams from in front of me. Fear reignites as the cold golem of steel towers before me, readying his humongous weapon once more. All thoughts in my mind screams out for me to run, but my heart locks my body in fear and shock.

"Her emotional levels are rising, estimated reach to maximum levels in three seconds!"

Again, another voice speaks out from nowhere. I have a hard time believing it is all in my mind. But all I can see all around is the wide, empty fields, devoid of anyone else besides the three of us. The glow from before, shines brighter now, akin to the light of a star.

Please, somebody help us! I can't let Masaru die like this!

At the thought, I shut my eyes, whether it is because of fear in the face of death, or the light now shining around me, burning like the sun. Every time I try to move, my muscles would lock up, frozen like stone, no matter how much I push. There is no pain, in fact, there is no feeling at all, just a lost of control that leaves me frozen there beside the cold body of my president, Sato Masaru. Though devoid, confused and utterly frozen in fear, my desire to help Masaru never dies down.

Please, help me!

"Zing!"

A sharp sound cuts the air, and a flash of light leaves everyone blinded for a second. I freak out wondering what the heck is happening, but somewhere within that glow is a warm and gentle feeling. It feels like the light appeared to help. My vision is blurred by a haze of white smoke. As everything calms, the energy and noise drowning out into the surroundings, my eyes open to a sight of faded gold, metal unlike anything I have ever seen before. A tall figure with broad shoulders, plates of armor surrounded his body, yet there is no indication of bulkiness. Long, flowing silver hair glides with the wind, the strands going around his slender yet well built body, partly concealed by the giant sword hanging from his back.

His sudden appearance brings back some form of feeling into my body, as he turns to face me with a serious look in his eyes. As he does so, I notice the monstrous axe from the armored man has been locked by his grip, and with a simple flick, he tears it off his hand and throws the heavy weapon to the sides.

The stranger that magically appears in a flash of light draws his blade, an extremely long sword that is both simple and beautiful because of its design. One glance towards me and he decided to raise his blade to protect me, sparking forth a small hint of happiness within my heart. The tall figure clad in gold slowly makes his way towards the silver golem, with the idea of a clash of great power appearing in my mind.

When staring at the back of the magnificent golden warrior, I can feel the power emanating from within him, pulsing with his every step. When what Sato spoke of before comes flashing through my mind, one thought just stands most prominent among all others.

That perhaps, this warrior is the key for whatever that is to come.

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><p><strong>In truth, I do feel my way of wordplay is falling a bit in this chapter, maybe because of spending so much time writing for NaNoWriMo, so I hope you can forgive me if it grates a bit, sorry! A sudden death led one thing to another, and now a guardian emerges to protect Akemi from the mysterious assailant! Who is he? Keep a look out for the next chapter to find out!<strong>


	4. Chapter 3: I Am Your Sword

**Author's Note:**

**Gah! I'm late, really late! Sorry for not posting on time guys, but I'm back on track now, so I'll keep pumping out chapters until I wrote all of those chapters that's piled up on my schedule. Let's see.. that means it'll be a double update this week!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: I Am Your Sword.<strong>

It feels as though there is silence across the fields, across the two figures. Even as I lean on the ground behind the golden knight, I can tell his sights are focused on the silver golem that struck down Masaru. Masaru's body feels so cold as his skin touches mine, but at least there is some semblance of heat still lingering at his touch. Or perhaps it is all in my own imagination. A glance shows me the cloudless night sky as the giant moon hung above the two overwhelming figures like a centerpiece in a painting.

Slowly, my protector draw his sword, pulling it out of the sheath attached to his back by a number of belts and leather straps. What I thought to be the sword is actually the sheath, dark brown with golden, ornate designs placed sparingly across its surface.

"Shing."

The blade hums a gentle yet powerful song as it is pushed forth by the knight's arm, the silver blade glisten under the light of the moon. The hilt of the sword held by his hand has its ends stretching out in the shape of a cross, the design similar to the sheath, finely crafted golden linings snake over the hilt itself, and in the center is the symbol of a cross beautifully emblazoned.

When the first breath of wind blow against my hair, throwing golden strands across my eyes, the fights starts.

Well, if it can even be called such a thing. The way the two fighters clad in armor engages each other is nothing less than an explosion of force and pressure, power spilling out into the empty fields, riling everything up. The two feels more akin to natural disasters than mere human figures. The land warps and quakes as they are hit by the power of the figures, rock, sand and dust flying all over the place just from the two closing in on each other. My golden protector, in particular, feels a lot like a tornado ravaging the fields as he begins swinging his magnificent sword.

"Swoosh!"

Not only did his blade cut through the air, but the wind howled as his body is pushed forward, generating immense force from his movements alone. The man with long, golden hair which flies in the air with grace handles his sword with impeccable skill, each movement precise and sharp, leaving little room for errors. No, there is absolutely no wasted movements in his swordsmanship at all.

"Fwoosh!"

Pushing his leg forward as he finally got in front of the silver golem, his gigantic sword is swung in an equally humongous arc. The wind screams as the blade pierce through the air, but the sheer size of the weapon did not hinder the speed of the attack at all. If anything, I can barely follow with my own eyes.

"Clank! Kashink! Zing!"

The sound of metal slashing against metal is so loud I almost cupped my ears and shut my eyes in surprise. Though disarmed, the silver golem who had Masaru strike down does his best to adapt to his current situation, barely dodging the slashes coming from my golden protector. No, he didn't completely dodge each arc of the blade, that's why the loud sound is ringing through the fields and through my ears. Each slash to the armor feels like the silver blade from the one before me would tear through anything in its path, so I am surprised to see the golem's armor coming out still retaining its shape, albeit barely.

Still, the fight is hardly anything but equal, as the movements of my protector far overwhelms that of the one trying to kill me. The silver golem is slowly inching to the point where his life will be taken. From what I see, him being armed or not will not change the course of the outcome. If the man attacking me before looks like a master swordsman, the golden knight fighting for my side looks nothing more than a being who outclasses him on a whole other plane of existence, that is just how powerful I can perceive him to be.

"Skeltch."

There is is, a fatal strike, coming up way beyond what my senses are expecting and catching me totally by surprise. Recovering myself barely, I catch sight of the magnificent silver blade cutting into the golem's flesh, striking through a barely noticeable opening between the plates of his armor. Blood pours out of the wound, splashing onto the field of grass around them. The weight of the blow is not just strong enough to mow though the flesh, but the man clad in silver armor is thrown off his feet, blown to the sides. He landed in a crash near his ornate axe, tossed as easily as a rag doll.

The fight is over, it is not a something I observed, but rather, a feeling that confirms my thinking. His stature never faltering, my savior flicks his wrist in one swift and powerful motion, and the blood clinging on to his sword is thrown to the grass and soil. The weapon of glory is then slowly docked into its sheath, humming the same, powerful sound as the metal strike the sheath.

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump._

When the silence returns, the sound of my heartbeat fills my ears, as I look to the golden figure with blurry eyes. Slowly, his armor gleams in the moonlight, as he turns to face my way. Masaru and the man in armor who attacked us are both still, lifeless as they laid on the ground crushing on the grass of the open fields, each side littered with tiny pools of blood seeping forth from their wounds.

Is... he going to kill me next? Finish me off after taking care of that silver giant?

'Hah... Hah... Hah..." All the excitement that happened is translated by my body as it brings itself close to exhaustion, so much that it is getting difficult to maintain my focus. Somehow, as if being strike by a sort of backlash, I feel my energy seeping away from me, being drained out of my body. In between my bated breath and the loud drumming of my heart, I can barely catch the steps of the golden knight as he took one step after another towards me, the whole of his armor resonating with each move.

So... weak.. No... My vision's... wavering...

"Chink. Chink. Chink."

The final step ends before me, prompting me to lift my head. My eye gaze upon his golden armor, which reflected light so much it obscures my already blurry vision. All I can make out is the shine of his armor, his bright hair flying gently in the wind, and the pulsing green light that surges out of the center of his body, originating from his chest. With each second, another wave of energy forces itself out like lightning, spreading across the surface of his body. I can even hear the energy as it crackles. He stands tall, taller than anyone I have ever seen, and he looks down to me with sharp, red eyes.

He stares at me for a second or two, before his eyes goes to scan the whole of my body as if searching for something. Next thing I see, his eyes widen up slightly as if he was hit by surprise, but, it only lasted a second, before he takes everything in and calmly closes his eyes. With the wind blowing a sudden breeze, the cold keeping my mind from going blank, my golden savior recites his very first words to greet me.

"I speak only the words that is needed to be said. I, Servant Saber, have come in response to your summons. With my presence, our role in the war is solidified, your destiny is now entwined with that of the Holy Grail."

My mind is exhausted, but I still find myself pulling my brain apart to understand the words he said. Almost like a reflex, thoughts started scrambling out, shouting in the depth of my mind.

What is he talking about? Who is he? Why did this man in armor suddenly poof himself out in a burst of light? How is that possible?

"And so, I ask of you..." He continues, his eyes so sharp it feels as though he is gazing into my soul, looking into my very being.

"...Are you my Master?"

His posture both strong and graceful, he looks completely out of place when I put him in comparison to the modern age. His question leaves my tongue tied behind my throat, my mind blank, unable to form a proper answer. This moment of confusion feels as though it can last forever, with just me staring at this stranger which poofed out to my rescue as if a prince out of some fairytale. His hair reflects the light of the moon as well, shining a faint, golden light. From the sheath of his sword, a cloth drape down like a cape, distorting my eyes further as I find my attention moving to his sword to distract myself from my confusion.

That is when my shaky vision falls, the sight of the knight before me slipping away, tossed out of my way.

"Clank. Shink."

My sight disappears, replacing itself with the darkness of my mind. There is the sound of loud footsteps and heavy metal hitting against each other, and after that, a strong hand supports me on the back. It has a cold touch, as my skin grazed against the smooth, sleek metal, but there is also a certain warmth to the act. It is all I can sense, before my mind goes completely numb and my consciousness goes lost with misdirection.

"...Hara Akemi. I'll get you home first." His voice, low in its tone, is smooth and strong, booming in the darkness of my mind.

Is my ears still working? Is that how I'm catching his voice?

When my eyes open again, I look to the clouds and the moon, and a little below that is the face of my savior, his sharp yet gentle eyes hidden behind strands of silver hair, which seemed to glow golden in the moonlight. He pace his steps so as to not disturb my rest. It is so comfortable that it feels like I can just fall asleep in his arms, it's so weird. I feel like I wouldn't mind if he had me kidnapped to some foreign place right now, as long as he's the one to do it. But before my mind give out, I turn to the side to glance at my club president, who is still sprawled on the ground below me, slowly inching away from my eyes.

"No... Masaru..." My voice is half-dead, half-asleep, even after I muster up most of my strength, as my hands stretch out towards him. It feels wrong to just leave him behind. As if he hears my words, his steps stop in their tracks. And then I fall into darkness once more.

Lights, flickering lights piercing into my eyes. The soft steps as my savior carried me through the streets seems to sway from one side to another, like a gentle cradle. The gray roads feels empty, shades of the same color assaulting my mind, even through my blurry vision. Somehow, the setting feels distinctly familiar, as if I've been here before. Then the steps stop before a huge gate that stands nearly two meters tall, a door of olden design. Turning around the best I can, I see the golden knight putting Masaru down by the door, my club president still as lifeless as before.

"I am sorry, young Magi, but this is the best I can afford. May your soul rest in peace, free from the pain you've been forced to endure." Those are the last words I hear before fatigue and exhaustion shuts down my sight once more, pushing me into the darkness.

Does this mean Masaru's dead? No... I don't want that! Not if he died to protect me! Just like that!

The memory flashes before my mind, the silver golem engaging with the guy whom I had been spending time in the club with for the past two years, reading books and sharing jokes together. His glasses, with their white frames, became the most apparent feature aside from his kindness, the smile he always have on his face. I thought he was just being optimistic, having a very colorful outlook on life, but I didn't really know who he is until today, when he fought with his life on the line, never faltering, never flinching in the face of danger. Did he go through such situations everyday?

"Masaru!" My scream into the night force my eyes open, only to see myself sitting cozily in a sofa, back in the comfort of my own living room. Flustered by what I am seeing, I turn to confirm my own thoughts. Indeed, I'm back in my house, as baffling as that seems.

"Huh? Is it all a dream?" The question pop out of my mouth as soon as it flashes across my mind, as I lower my guard and the tension vanishes. With shaky vision and wobbly movements, I push myself to sit up straight, and I lay eyes on a familiar sight, leaning on the wall across the sofa I was sitting on. The figure opens his sharp eyes, and catches my full attention with his stare alone.

He's the knight who saved me... That means... it's all real...

"Perish the thought." He gives out the rather funny phrase with such a serious tone no laugh can emerge from my mouth.

"Um... W-who are you? How did you know where I lived? How did you get the front door open?" It may seem to be a pointless question to ask, but somehow I feel as though I really need to know exactly what happened. A few seconds of silence pass as he gives me the observant stare, and I start to fidget my fingers uncontrollably as I await his answer, pushing myself deeper into my sofa. In the quiet scene, memories started flowing back as my mind slowly awaken.

That's right... He called himself a servant... What was it now? Um...

"Saber...?" I give out his name unconsciously as soon as I think of it.

"In accordance to your questions. Yes, I am Servant Saber. The information of your residence is obtained from your identity card found in your wallet, and these are the keys used to open the doors to this place." He calmly recites his answers with a stoic tone to his words, raising his right hand to show in his possession the keys I had stashed in my pockets. I know it's mine because of the cartoon key-chain attached to it. As I recognized it, he tosses the keys towards me, which I then catches with my two hands.

That little act brings my attention to another thing I noticed. The armor he had, glistening in faded gold, is gone, with only his metal boots present around his feet. His gauntlets, the plates hanging on his shoulders, all gone, with only a tight, brown leather suit over his body. Belts and emblems adorned over the suit, it does little to hide the green crest of energy pulsing from his chest to the rest of his body, resonating a soft hum even as the seconds pass. I may not have noticed it before, but his face is beyond handsome, his wild, silver hair actually complimenting his sharp eyes and chiseled jaw. When I am hit with that realization, I fluster as heat started gathering around my face, making it even more difficult to think and to speak.

"Oh! Um... My name's Akemi, Hara Akemi. P-pleased to meet you! Uh... I-I mean, thank you very much, for saving my life!" Searching for the right words to say prove more difficult than I thought, and each stutter at my words only make my face flare up harder than before.

Why am I so nervous around him? I mean, he's just good looking, right?

"It seems you have no idea as to the severity of your own situation." The man named Saber speak out with his eyes still pinned on me, putting quite the heavy load on my shoulders. "I'll put it bluntly. People die when they are killed. There is no doubt in that logic. And the truth shines even more in the face of this war, where death is a necessity." He continues on with ominous words, so much that I feel my heart jumping at the mention of death.

"W-wait, why will they die? W-what war are you talking about? What exactly do you mean?" I cry out in response to his hurtful words. Those are the words that should not be spoken with such little care and concern. I think I feel agitated that I have to be the one at the receiving end of the conversation.

"The Holy Grail War." His reply is so short, and he never even reacted to my outburst, as if he is expecting it all along. Saber only nod to himself as a tiny wave of enthusiasm appears within him, continuing his explanation. It is difficult to even discern his emotions from his tone of voice, which feels more monotone than anything I hear before. "Heroic Spirits, drawn by their desire, will be paired with Magi with wishes of their own, and are tossed into this bloody battle royal to claim ownership of the vessel capable of miracles."

After his words end, he slowly pace his steps towards me, metal hitting the floor of my house. Stopping in front of me, he stands in proud and powerful stature, just as he did in the open fields.

"As of this moment, your life is put in mortal danger. As much as I hate to admit it, you will probably be the first one to die in this war."

_Ba-dump._

Saber's words brings forth a sense of mortality within me, churning it out to heights I never thought possible. The room seems to warp and swirl in a chaotic mess as the constant throbbing of my heart pulse within me like a giant headache. With Saber's eyes pushing down on me, it feels like I can die right there from any slight movement that might happen, my life can taken away from me at any moment. It feels horrible, disgusting, frightening. As my mind unconsciously decides to run, my legs only manages to stand, before my body went tumbling down by the coffee table before the sofa.

Shutting my eyes, I want to push all my troubles away. It feels too much to just take in what I was just told, and so my mind wants to run away from all these problems. Pushing my legs, I quickly make my way to my room and dump myself on my bed before the wave of exhaustion washes itself over me, locking my body from moving.

"No... Just forget about it... Just... forget..." I mumble out the words as if trying to hypnotize myself as I push my face into my pillow, slowly drifting to sleep. As my consciousness fade, I hear the same metallic boots hitting against the floor. Saber must be walking to the door of my room.

It's normal to be troubled like this, right? To feel so afraid when hearing such words?

My mind slowly goes to sleep, tired and wrecked with countless thoughts and worries. As my soft breathing fills my bedroom, I can't help but feel the gaze of Saber gently placed on top of me, watching me as I sleep. Even after he said those hurtful words, I can somewhat feel him trying his best to protect me. The clock in my room just keeps on ticking, each strike pounding in my head as I lay in my bed.

"I will do all I can to protect you. I am your weapon in this war, the shield that never breaks from weathering blows. This role is cast upon you with no choice of your own, a pitiful sight even for my eyes. Whether you accept your part or not, I will stand by you, be the answer to your troubles. I will do all it takes." Saber's tone is gentle, calm and caring, filled with a gentle touch.

"For I am your Sword."

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><p><strong>Finally! Wow, this took more than a week to write! Somehow, I've been rather slow with my noggin. I hope this chapter isn't too bad, but it's definitely not my best writing! Saber intrudes into Akemi's life, pledging himself to her, no matter what she decides. Just how will the war affect Akemi? Keep your eyes out for the next chapter to find out!<strong>


	5. Chapter 4: Denial

**Author's Note:**

**Time for another chapter. I hope you guys aren't disappointed about how Akemi reacted before! I just wanted her to have a more natural reaction, and I figured a girl would be freaked out and try to run away from those news of death and war! Let's see how it all plays out...**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Denial<strong>

Again, the slow, quiet day starts out in my house, as I push my head out of the sheets. My golden hair flies all over the place, the many ends curled up, the bed hair seems positively messy. The light of the sun lit up the whole of my house again, and as I pace my steps down the stairs, the song of the birds sounds more beautiful than any music I have ever heard. It feels slow and relaxing for a school day morning, and my body feels so lazy that I have to push myself to just move to the kitchen. My eyes stays half-open even as I come to face the grandfather clock chiming in the corner.

Huh, I woke up early, I have an hour or so before I have to get ready for school. Wow, I cannot remember the last time I had this much freedom of time in the morning!

As if my body knew what I have to do, I walk towards the altar by the door, still half-awake. When the blinking of my eyes shows me the two tablets, my back immediately jerk up straight, my attention flowing back into me. With a smile, I clap my hands together as if in prayer.

"Morning, Mom, Dad!" The words comes out in a whisper, as I give them a small bow. Yesterday was quite the hasty greeting, so I hope to do better and not do it so sloppily ever again.

Finding myself in a daze, I direct my wobbly body to the bathroom to wash up before starting my preparation on my breakfast. Somehow, the day feels much slower than usual, but a feeling of importance tries its best to emerge in my mind. As the sizzle of bacon frying in the metal pan reach my ears, the fresh smell of eggs getting done snubbing my nose, I cannot help but feel as though something is nagging in my mind.

"Wha... It really tastes different when you take time to prepare breakfast!" The feeling of bliss rises to my face as I take my first bite into the meat and eggs. The taste is delicious, the freshness having preserved even through the frying.

Did I forget something? I got a feeling it is something really important...

Checking the calendar give me no real results, there were no occasions, no celebration, no school events, not even examinations. Today is just a normal school day.

As the light shining into the room remain still, the silence of it all sometimes feels a bit too daunting. The chirping of birds seems to have disappeared. Looking out into the living room from my kitchen, the loneliness creep up inside of me, having lived alone in this house for a few years now. Chomping down on my bacon, sausages and eggs, the particular morning today is not a happy one, just one of neutral passiveness. Strangely, to my side is a second plate as well as utensils, already set up. When my eyes fall on the breakfast I prepared, it seems too big a portion for me alone.

"Huh? Did I thought there's a guest joining me for breakfast today?" I ask out to myself, breaking the silence of the house. To my surprise, I did not clear away the second plate, only leaving it on top of the dining table.

As I finish up on my own serving of breakfast, I can feel a slight tinge of attention on me. It very much feels like someone is watching over me, but not like a shadow looming over my soul, but more like a guardian making sure I am safe. With no sign of it being a threat, the sensation, that come and go so suddenly, is easily forgotten.

"Mom, Dad, it's time to go to school! I'm off, okay? Love you!" I gave my parents a goodbye before grabbing my backpack from the corner of the door as I always put it. Turning back to the living room, I give off one more glance. The feeling of something important still lingers in my mind, but I am probably just imagining things. When my eyes landed on the far kitchen dining table, I am surprised to find the food I left on the table for some reason, disappeared. The plates and utensils looks as though they were used as well. And with that intriguing thought, that nagging feeling in my mind is pushed away by a new question.

"Is my house... haunted?" I asked the question out loud, as if expecting someone to answer, as I went outside the house and closed the door. A sudden wave of worry washing over me, I quickly lock up before skipping out onto the streets. "No way!" I do my best to stay positive and ignore the chill and goosebumps forming on my skin as I start walking to school. When my steps reach the pavements, the same familiar feeling, like someone is following me, is felt.

Turning around, my eyes opened wide as if I am expecting to see someone.

Huh?

After a second or two, the outside of my house remains the same, no one appeared. The street is as empty as ever. Brushing it off again, I turn back to the direction to school once more.

On my way to school, the bustle of the streets, the roar of the City, it all disappeared. One step after another, I walk as there is no need to rush today, I am in no position to be late as I was yesterday. The tall skyscrapers that reach to the skies seemed even more towering today, but at the same time, they look a bit too dark. Darker than usual at least. It is all very strange. There is a certain lack of activity in the City, and as the wind blow against my hair, there is a sense of wariness. It is as if people are avoiding the streets. Even the cars that frequent the roads is nowhere in sight.

When my steps bring me to the gates of my school, there comes an even stranger feeling of unease. The sky seems to be turning black as soon as I approach the courtyard. When I close my eyes, I can still see the image of the school, but everything had a very cold feel to it. Lifeless and still. At the thought, a chilling breeze blow against my body, sending a wave of shiver down my spine.

Just... what's happening? What's with the sudden cold?

That is when a drop of water, or at least, something wet, plopped on my hair, followed by another, and another and a dozen more. When I open my eyes, the sun is all but covered by the gray clouds hanging in the sky, with a droplets of water falling on me. Soft drops soon becomes huge torrents, all the water splashing down by the wind, the cold freezing the air in the courtyard. Before I know it, I am being assaulted by a heavy sudden downpour.

"It's because it's raining!" I cry out as I bring my hands to try and shield myself from the massive drops of rain hitting against my face as I dash across the open space towards the school.

Wet and drenched by the time class starts, I cannot say I can still find the attentiveness needed for class. In my seat by the window, my eyes gaze out into the streets, struck by the continuous heavy rain, which does not seem to be stopping anytime soon. My body shivers even after my clothes are dry, my teeth chattering as I hold my head up with my right arm. Certainly, it is not the best way to start school. Before my eyes turn back to class, however, a familiar white streak of hair caught my attention. The guy is all wrapped up in his black raincoat, and so his white hair seems to glow even in the rain.

Huh? Could it be... the guy from the park yesterday? No way, why would he be here? Standing outside in the school courtyard?

But there is no doubt about it. The very same guy stares back at me through the window, as if he is purposely watching me, and only me. His eyes, while still a bit blank, shines with a tiny glimmer of light, the light of life. In any case, seeing him so determined brings a smile to my face. For some reason, I am glad to know the guy, who looks to be about my age, is no longer lost in his way, in his life, anymore. When I place my hand on my cheeks, I realized that there is a touch of warmth, and my shivering had stop.

Eh? Why am I feeling so warm after catching sight of the guy? I mean, it's just a sight through the windows, so why am I so happy all of a sudden?

Realizing why at a random thought, I quickly turn away from the windows, and meekly bury my head in between my textbooks. Somehow, I just feel like studying again, the interest to join the class pushing away all other thoughts. When I glance back through the window for a second time, the guy is gone, and only the heavy splashing of the rain ring through my ears.

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><p><em>Huh? What is this? All I can see is a starless night sky, the clouds slowly receding away. Everywhere I look feels particularly dark. I think this is a dream, if so, did all of this happen before? When did this happen? It feels as though my mind has been blocking out these images. Feeling particularly bold, I push on to get a clearer view on just what happened.<em>

_At first, gunshots rang through the open field we were in. I was so caught up by the shooting that it made it difficult to focus on what was happening. I remember seeing a dreaded weapon in another person's hand. He has a familiar face, he is my friend. His brown hair flew with the wind. My friend struggles to survive, to protect me in that moment. Yes, I remember that much._

_Sato Masaru? Yes, the one who was with me is none other than my club president. He wield the gun in his hand with great skill, even as he was surprised. The look in his eyes scared me._

_Then the flash of silver, the plates encasing the golem, who attacked us with no mercy. I remember his finely designed axe, ornate and sculpted with beautiful designs, swinging down on Masaru, who did his best to defend himself. Like magic, a strange, green glow shone forth from his fingers, crackling with power, pulsing with every second. I was dumbstruck that he could do such a thing! With the clash of metal, Masaru fell with his chest ripped open, blood spilling out onto the grass._

_That's right...I watched as Masasru stopped moving, I cried as I screamed out his name, calling him to wake up. Did he die?_

_Then, the golden light blinded me, and from the center emerged a knight shining as bright as the sun itself. His blade was faster than the golem's, his presence had me awed. Without saying anything, he moved in front of me, and sought to protect me. The memories then began flushing through faster and faster. Clashes that shook the earth itself blew out when the two exchanged blows, but in the end, the silver golem was thrown to the sides. _

_I wonder what happened to him?_

_The man in golden armor brought me back home. No one could have survived such a fatal blow, the splitting of flesh on his chest. And so, Masaru died. Yes, he died yesterday, trying to protect me. When I awoke at home, my savior introduced himself as Saber, and promised to protect me from the danger of the war. I remember being all tired, afraid. Exhausted to the point where I could not take the dire warnings Saber kept reminding me of, and so, I pushed them all away._

_So, Masaru's dead... that's right, I saw him die... wait, what's this about a war? I remember Saber speaking about such a thing, where life and death of the participants will be hanging on a thin thread. There is a name to the war he spoke of, what was it...? That's right... It's called..._

_The Holy Grail War._

"Hara-san?"

A familiar voice wakes me up, as my day-dream vanishes at the blink of my eyes. The light of the sun at noon beats down on me, blinding me for a second when I look up. I realize I am sitting on a bench outside. The wind blow me a gentle, relaxing breeze. The bread I was having is placed on my lap, half-eaten. It must have been lunchtime, and I went outside to enjoy the weather after the heavy rain stopped. The green leaves of one of the few trees present in the courtyard, as well as the grass around it, looks really peaceful as my eyes wander at the scene before me, with heavy thoughts in my mind.

Huh... Masaru's dead... I'm actually in a war... I don't believe it...

"Hara-san!" The voice yells out for my attention, and as I turn my eyes, the guy named Sato Masaru greeted me with his brown hair and a pair of white glasses. He sits at the opposite end of the bench, with a piece of bread in his hand as well. It seems he has been eating lunch by my side. Masaru looks at me with a curious expression on his face, acting the same way he would a few days back.

Wait a minute... Shouldn't he be dead?

At that instant, the sight of him laying cold on the ground, blood slowly flowing out onto the grass, flashes across my mind, reminding me of the impossibility of this situation before me.

"Eh?" I scream out in shock, surprised at what I am seeing, knocked up to my feet and almost throwing my bread away. The look of confusion on Masaru's face tells me he cannot understand why I am acting this way, but how am I supposed to act when the dead starts to walk? "Aren't you supposed to be dea-" Before I can finish my words, Masaru's eyes grew deadly serious, and he throw his arms around me, shutting me up with his right hand over my mouth. Even my arms are pulled behind me in an instant, locking down my movement.

It is a good thing the spot we are in is secluded, and out of plain sight, or this little commotion would have gotten the whole student body excited if they lay eyes on it. Wait, what am I thinking? I need to get free!

Suddenly, a whirlwind blows against us, the strength strong enough to blow a cow off its feet. A small flash of light is given off from my side, and the familiar presence I had been feeling since morning becomes more obvious. His silver hair, flickering with the wind, materializes first before his golden armor and the green, pulsing crest of power on his chest appears. With his gigantic sword taken form, Saber draws the blade out of its sheath, the metallic sound ringing forth for just a second, before he thrusts his blade at Masaru!

At the shock, I fail to notice Masaru already letting go of me, pushing me to the sides as he hops backwards before the blade was fully drawn. The thrust is pushed forward with inhuman speed, my eyes can barely follow the attack. Thankfully, Masaru manages to dodge it, but the blade is still close enough to rip through his shirt. When the wind blew apart what is left, I saw a glowing red tattoo, similar to mine, running across the left side of his chest. Three irregular strokes, forming what looks like a sword.

"I knew it. You're a Master!" Saber yells out as he catches sight of the mark, lunging forth towards Masaru again, with a horrible murderous intent practically spilling from his very being. With burning desire, Saber swings his sword in a giant arc, aiming for Masaru's heart.

He's not joking, he's really going to kill him!

Taken back by the appearance of Saber and the fact that Masaru is going to die, I am too distracted to notice the second thing happening before us. Another entrance just like Saber's, a slew of energy is tossed out from Masaru's side, even faster than Saber's. Unlike what happened with Saber, light particles seems to fly around the vortex of wind and energy, before it all exploded, revealing the silhouette of a hooded figure with two contraptions at each side of her arms. She moved with speed that seems to match Saber's, maybe even faster, throwing her left arm out to intercept Saber's attack.

From the shadow, the contraption came to light, a crossbow of sorts, with a blade at its front, making it suitable for attacking in close quarters and from afar. A cloak of green, the woman shoots out her blade like an arrow, clashing with Saber's attack.

"Kashink!"

"Saber or no, I will not allow you to land a single strike on my Master! Not if I still draw breath! Now stand down, or I will strike you down!" The hooded woman, whose graceful movements and impossible speed locks itself with Saber's overwhelming attack, gives out her warning in the name of protection.

Protection of her Master.

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><p><strong>The end of yet another chapter! I hope you guys enjoy the chain of events! Masaru reveals himself to be a Master, but what's more intriguing is how the heck he survived from the wound last night? What will happen as they both find themselves members of this little war? Give me your thoughts in your reviews and watch out for the next update!<strong>


	6. Chapter 5: To Stop A Sword

**Author's Note:**

**Yes, it's another update, the latest slew of updates to make up for the few times I missed my own dateline! The story's progressing itself bit by bit, but to tell you the truth, I have little planning done, so let's see what pops into my mind, shall we?**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5: To Stop A Sword.<strong>

With everything happening so quickly, the force generated from the fight so intense, I fell to my knees, even as I try my best to stand. Time seems to slow as powerful wind blows against my hair, my golden bangs flying all over the place. What I am watching is so grand, so huge, so magnificent, I could not shift my eyes away, even as the air starts to turn heavy, as if reacting with the outburst of power and presence pulsing forth before me. What I saw last night, when the silver golem traded blows with Saber pales in comparison to this fight like a grain of sand compared to the giant desert.

"Shink! Kashink! Thunk!"

Weapons clashes with might, as Saber throws his sword forward, aiming at Masaru, only to have it knocked out of the way by a precise deflection by the other Servant with the two strange weapons or contraptions attached to her arms. At first, I thought them to be crossbows, but now I am not quite sure, with all the knobs and bolts sticking out. The hooded woman swings her arms with grace and speed, not the overwhelming strength Saber uses, but she seems to be fighting toe to toe with my Servant, each bout of her movement bringing forth its own flicker of golden petals. They remind me of fairy wings, ones I see in dreams and stories.

But, that is not to say she had Saber locked in a standstill. His flooding presence is not without skill, as he swiftly threw another huge arc from his gigantic sword, his focus changing to the opposing Servant. The strike was fast, filled to the brim with power. When the Servant with bright, blond hair catch sight of the incoming attack, she moved with speed that seems to defy physics, bringing her weapons up to block the incoming strike. Again, the golden wings flutter with the strands of her beautiful hair.

"Clunk!"

Pushed by the powerful blow, the opposing Servant is thrown back a good distance, her arms still up defending herself. With the distraction out of the way, Saber resumes his objective, eyes sharpening once more as he charges against Masaru with a burst of power and intent. The wind howl at his actions, which throws force just by mere movements. Closing in at insane speed, Saber readies his sword once more, clenching his fingers tight around its grip.

Seeing Masaru fluster with fear in his eyes drive me to speak out.

"Saber, wait! Stop, don't kill him!" I cry out, screaming as loud as I can, hoping my protector from last night will listen. Somehow, I have the slight feeling in my heart that words are useless. Saber flinch at the sound of my voice for but a second, and looks at me with uncertainty, before dashing back towards Masaru. At that moment, the tattoo on my hand starts to sting a little. When my eyes look up to the fight again, Masaru's servant appears before him in a whisk of light and gold, her movements and actions looking more and more impossible no matter how many times I see it.

It's like she's bending reality, making it work for her. The very space around her warps just so she can keep up with Saber!

The two beings of another plane clashes with unbelievable speed. Saber swings his sword, despite how big it is, as if it is nothing more than a knife in his hands, the speed becoming a whirlwind of steel. Masaru's servant is nothing less impressive either, dodging and counterattacking at the same time, empowered by some sort of magic. Dodging an overhead arc, she uses the momentum of her dodge to push the two blades attached to the contraptions on her arms forward, only to have saber pull his blade and swing it downwards in another arc, knocking them off their course.

"Kashink! Clank!" Sword and blades clashes again, the woman, whose long, golden hair is hidden behind her hood, pushes down her two blades, the pendant of a cross hanging around her neck tosses and jerks about because of her intense speed, her green shawl fluttering in the wind. As soon as they strike the steel of Saber's sword, she pulls them back, before lashing out with a kick, her brown boots flying towards the spot where Saber does not have armor covering.

"Crack." The impact seems to garner more reaction from the opponent than Saber, as she wince her eyes as if in pain. Green bolts sparks from the spot Saber is kicked, and a second later, her leg is repelled, pushing her back stumbling. As the eyes of Masaru's Servant show confusion, Saber only strengthens his resolve, and completely ignores her in favor of Masaru, darting out of the way and charging straight at him once more.

Wow, it's like nothing fazes him from what he's decided.

Still, with Saber resuming his charge with his giant sword in hand, I force my body to stand in order to catch up with his speed. When my eyes turn to look at where Masaru is, he already broke off into a sprint, disappearing behind the walls of the school a good ten meters away! When his Servant realizes this, she quickly ran off after him as well, eager to protect him from Saber. Why can't Saber just stop what he's doing? Does he not know Masaru's my friend?

"W-wait up! Wait for me! Saber, stop!" A few seconds later, and they are already gone from sight, leaving me to start running after them as well. I throw down my arms as I scream out, running as fast as I can.

Pass the corner, as the wall goes to the sides, a flash of light and a powerful gust of wind suddenly blows against me, as I catch sight of Masaru's Servant leaping from window to window, firing something from the contraptions on her arms at Saber, as he give chase to Masaru, who is already a ways in front, not even stopping his steps for a second. With a twist of his blade and a swing, Saber intercepts all of the shots, the pieces falling to the ground before me as he pushes forward. Glancing to the side, I catch sight of the pieces, the points and the fletchings.

I don't believe it, the things she was firing as fast as bullets are actually arrows! So... She's an Archer?

"Hah... Hah... Hah..." By the dozen steps, I am already out of breath, my chest tightening and a slight pain poking at my lungs. But the annoying feeling throbbing from my tattoo seems to drive my steps, and the thought of Masaru getting cut, his torso sliced open from last night keep popping into my mind, and I do not want to see that happen to him again! My leg hitting on the concrete floor as I run, I see Saber suddenly appearing in front of Masaru, forcing his blade in a giant side-swing with two hands, plowing into Masaru at an insane speed.

"Masaru-kun, look out!" As soon as I see the attack, I yell out to him in hopes of warning him.

"Whoa!" Flustering, Masaru fails at his steps, slipping and sliding down on the ground just as the sword is about to slice into him, before a flash of golden wings and mystical wind fills the area, as his Servant catch up to them, stretching out her hand and pulling Masaru back. With another unbelievable display of strength, Masaru is pulled off his feet and thrown into the air, sending him flying in my direction. The look of surprise and shock fills his face as he realizes what is happening to him.

"Archer! You didn't have to throw me!" His body gliding through the air, getting closer and closer, Masaru is already raising his arms to cover his face, preparing for the crash while screaming out the name of his Servant. I think he isn't too happy about how his body is handled like a toy, tossed to the sides by his Servant. "Hara-san, look out!" When he sees me as he squints his eyes, he throws his arms open instead, screaming out for me as his eyes blow themselves wide open.

Unfortunately, I'm not fast enough to jump out of the way.

"Bash."

With Masaru smashing into me, his weight pulls me down to the ground. My eyes flies all over the place, as my back hit the floor hard and my vision jerks like I'm in a roller-coaster. As my sight shifts into darkness, my eyes closing from ll the chaos, I feel my elbows scraping and grazing on the stone floor before the weight crushes down on me completely. It feel like a pile of laundry is tossed on top of me, so much that it suffocates me, leaving me to try and push everything aside and gasp for air. For an instant, everything in my mind just disappears, before the anvil of a body on top of me if removed, almost immediately.

When I open my eyes, Masaru is holding up his body with his two arms, slowly collecting himself after the crash. With his uniform all torn up and and the fact that he was pulled off the ground and thrown a good ten feet from where he stood, I don't blame him for not noticing the awkward position we are in, with his legs in between mine and his chest so close I can almost hear his heartbeat.

"Um... Masaru-kun?" My club president responded to my voice, and when his face floods with the color red, I can feel heat quickly rising to my own. Not to mention when I turn my eyes to avoid looking at him as we scramble up to our feet, I catch sight of a few students looking at us from the windows.

"Swoosh. Kashink!" The sound of metal clashing brings us back to the problem, as Saber's attempt to send his sword through Masaru is blocked by Archer once more. Even with Masaru at my side, Saber's gigantic blade remains raised, his eyes seeing nothing else but his prey. Saber's relentless attacks made it difficult to move, as we put all our efforts into dodging his precise and lightning quick slashes and stabs, with Masaru's Servant doing her best to come between her Master and my Servant.

"Saber! You dare call yourself a knight when you would keep your sword raised even when it endangers your own Master?" Archer's voice is a high and sullen one, reminding me of someone who keeps her emotions in check. With the statement, she seems to get more agitated, shifting into more aggressive movements, taking on a more offensive stance. Charging forward after getting in front of her Master and I, her lavish green shawl flies in an almost hypnotizing manner when side by side with the golden aura that surrounds her. She attacks with not only her two blades, but switches skillfully with her legs as well, delivering precise kicks.

"Do not speak of things uncertain, knight of the bow! This is for her own good!" With those words declared, Saber dodges her kicks while taking on the sharp blades thrust upon him, pulling his sword back, streamlining his movements like a sharp arrow. When Archer's twin blades slices his skin and a small trickle of blood begin dripping out, I can't help but feel worried for my Servant, the feeling somehow appearing inside me, a concern for the man who suddenly appeared in my life.

I don't want Saber to kill Masaru, and I don't want to see Saber hurt either!

"Even if she has no will for war, I will be her instrument. I will kill any Master that appears before me, just so my own can be safe. There must be no probability, no exceptions!" Saber roars out, throwing what looks like a powerful, overhead swing. With his assault, the winds pushes me, almost blowing me off my feet. Somehow, I get the feeling Saber's desperate, as if he himself is confused but is leaning towards death of Masaru as the right answer. I feel guilty, because it feels like he's doing all this just to protect me.

"Stop, Saber! You don't have to kill Masaru, I don't want you to kill him, even if he's a Master! He won't hurt me!" Getting desperate myself, I push my voice and scream out the words, eyes shutting close as I exert force and tone. That is when I feel the stinging of the symbols on my hand glow even brighter, the pain suddenly getting bigger for a slight second. I can even feel a strange wave of power blow out of it, pulsing and flying through the school.

"Please, don't kill him!"

"Shiuw! Zing!"

When the wave stop, the strange sound can be heard. Saber's blade is stopped in its mid-swing, never even touching Archer. The blond haired woman, with her twin weapons raised, is stunned by what happened, and stands with her back towards us, not moving. I think I see Saber's eyes change, the light showing disappointment and shame. Whatever that's happened, my Servant seems really annoyed by it. Slowly, he stops the flow of his murderous intent, sheathing his sword and standing up straight.

Walking towards me as if the danger and desperation is no more, I stand confused while even Masaru looks disturbed, turning away from me when I look to his side to see if he is okay. Suddenly, he grits his teeth and clenches his fingers into fists as if he is putting blame on himself. His golden armor and silver hair now a gorgeous sight as calm as the gentle wind, Saber kneels down before me like the way knights would in stories.

"The order of the command spell will be obeyed. I will no longer ignore your words, Master, and I will comply with your wishes." And with that promise, Saber fades out of the physical world with a gust of wind, vanishing like a ghost. Soon, with the commotion stopped, Archer disappears as well, leaving my confused self at Masaru's side.

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><p><strong>It seems to stop Saber required no less than one stroke of Akemi's Command Seals. Will Saber still be able to properly protect Akemi and win the war at the same time when the very act of participation is not something Akemi can get used to? And what of Masaru, and the conflict of emotions swirling within him? Give me your thoughts in your reviews! I can't wait for the next update!<strong>


	7. Chapter 6: The Holy Grail War

**Author's Note:**

**Hey, are you guys up on the current Visual Novel news? I expect most fans of fate/stay night to be somewhat knowledgeable about Visual Novels, and so, you guys must know that the Visual Novel made by a group for the sake of getting their story out to the world is out! Katawa Shoujo is already available for download!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: The Holy Grail War.<strong>

A soft wind blows against my golden hair, the strands flying into sight. I don't exactly understand what just happened, and now that it's all over, it feels very much like a dream. Gazing down with tired eyes, I realize I'm sitting on the ground at the back of the school, the main building a few feet away. Only with the chime of the school-bell, signaling the end of lunch, did I regain back complete control of my body. Masaru appears before me, having walked to my side some time ago. With beads of sweat flowing down the side of his face, he stretches out his hand to help me up, with a grim and worried look on his face.

"Ding dong ding dong..." As we start moving, the chiming of the school bells brought me back. That is when I realize the warmth encompassing my palm, as Masaru hold my hand with his, and leads me on towards wherever we are going to.

Looking around, I look a bit worse for wear, my uniform dirtied and a few grazes here and there, but it is nothing compared to Masaru. Cuts by the dozens spread from his arms to his chest, his shirt torn open by the mere wind blew forth from Saber's slash. With a few eyes slowly following us as we walk on, it made me worry about that little fight before.

What if people actually saw that? I don't expect anything less than pure panic breaking out. After all, Saber and that hooded woman hardly seemed human, especially after displaying such unbelievable speed and power.

"Um... Masaru-kun? We're... kinda going the wrong way..." When we move further and further away from the classrooms, the words just pop out as they appeared in my mind. As we pace ourselves up the stairs, students starts to stare down hard at how we looked, but Masuru acts as though they weren't even there, and continue on, seriousness in his eyes. Walking down the familiar hallway, I feel myself getting a bit uncomfortable from the touch of Masaru's skin before we stopped at a room the two of us are familiar with.

And why wouldn't we be? This is the room we would hide in and spend days caressed by the gentle silence granted to us. That's right, it's the Historian's clubroom.

"Masaru-kun?" Still a bit shaken and confused, I can't help but try asking him again. He hasn't even blinked ever since our Servants faded into thin air.

"Huh?" With that reply, he blinked about a dozen time and shake his head rather violently, before the light filled his eyes again. "So... we're on a first name basis now? Okay, Akemi-san." Smirking, his teasing made me blank out a bit, before I turn away from his sudden smile. "Don't worry, we've got no time for class, this is much more important." Masaru gives me a stern declaration, his tone all but convinced me that he is telling the truth. And with that, he let go of my hand and open the door to the room.

"All right, first, let me ask you, what do you know of the Holy Grail War?" As we took our seat among the many shelves of books, in the light of the afternoon sun, Masaru asks out the question almost abruptly, robbing me of my chance of asking him how he survived last night. Immediately, I can feel invisible eyes suddenly shooting at us, I think Saber and Archer suddenly got all too interested in what we are saying. My attention waning, I quickly dig into my mind and bring up the memories of what Saber told me last night, anything I can remember.

Slowly, they came rising from the clouds of doubt, becoming clearer and clearer. The fact that I'm now drawn into a bloody war that's out to take my life, as well as god-like beings called Servants being tossed into the mix as well. At the same time, the feeling of mortality slowly re-emerged, waking my heart and pushing it faster.

_Ba-dump._

"I... Saber said that I'm now part of this war for the Holy Grail, that people would fight, hunt and kill each other, all for a chance at having their wish granted..." Strangely, it feels as though I'm the one explaining things to Masaru, using the sound of my voice to keep myself calm. Masaru only listened on attentively as I went on, not even flinching at the mention of words such as kill or blood, the sight slightly scaring me a bit. "And... Saber said I'll probably be the first one to die..." Admitting the memory was difficult, causing me to gulp down a huge breath of air right after. I might have imagined it, but Masaru winced even harder when my death was mentioned.

"How can he say that...?" Even as he try to hide it, I can hear his grizzly voice of discontent louder than anything else in the room. My eyes just fall to his face, staring at him while still confused as to what and how I should act right now. Before me stands my club president, my friend, I think, as well as a fellow Master to this war.

Is Masaru going to kill me sometime in the future? Will I be forced to kill him? Will he be hunted down without mercy? Questions after questions keep appearing, messing with my train of thought. Whatever it is, I try to keep the thought of war as far away from my mind as I can.

"The Holy Grail, do you know what it is?" As if trying to mess with me, Masaru brings up the topic once more. When I look to him with fear and reluctance, he just stared back with eyes dead serious. His eyes alone are enough to make me doubt myself.

"It's... the cup which caught the blood of that martyr... I think..." Seeing Masaru like this, I do my best to keep up the conversation, replying while scratching my temple. As vague as my answer is, that's about the best I can muster from whatever I know. "I'm not so sure if it was supposed grant wishes..."

"That's right, no matter what variations the legends present, they always tell of a chalice of unfathomable power." Masaru suddenly burst out with enthusiasm, his voice booming forth. Springing to his feet, he reach for a book in the corner shelf, one hidden completely in plain sight. If one didn't take a good look, he wouldn't even notice such a book being there. Flipping it open, he flashes towards me the page showing me a crude, almost ancient drawing of a beautifully crafted, ornate cup glowing with light. "But, I can say that this grail we're fighting for is definitely not the one that caught the blood from the son of god."

"What? So there's more than one Holy Grail in the world?" With the sudden words, Masaru sends me into even more spirals of confusion, so much that I blubber out whatever words that forms in my mind.

"All I know, is that this cup has not been tainted by any blood ever since it's established. The power to grant wishes seems to come from somewhere else..." Masaru's tone dies down to the point of suspicion and curiosity as he reaches the particular words. While I sit there stunned and disoriented by everything pushed at me, Masaru sinks into thought, quickly immersing himself. "... At least, that's what I've been able to gather from the ruins." He mutters out as if doubting himself. The very mention of ruins pushes everything else away.

"Ruins? There's ruins here in the City?" The strange and unbelievable word surprises me. As far as I know, this City has been around for a few centuries already, and any building that got damaged was quickly rebuilt, so how are there ruins located anywhere near here? Even if that's possible, just how old are these ruins?

Somehow, a foreboding feel went across my body as I try to wonder about the ruins Masaru brought up, as if my body didn't want me to know anything about it. The whole situation is starting to feel more and more like a bad horror movie.

"Well, if we get the chance, I'll bring you there for a look yourself..." Masaru ends the current topic while replacing the book back from where it was before. By this time, I wonder how long it's been since we came into the room and talked, with the yellow afternoon sun shining from the window, the glaring light making it difficult for me to keep my eyes on Masaru. "Next issue concerning the war would be... Servants." The club president calmly gives out as his eyes remains closed, as if sorting out the many things in his mind.

"That's right! What are these people? And how are they so powerful?" My eyes blinking right open, I almost yell out my question in accordance to my rising interest. Though this whole thing seems crazy and unbelievable, I find a part of me strangely curious about it, especially about people like Saber.

"Perhaps... it would be better if our Servants do the honors..." Masaru slowly gives out, shifting his eyes behind me, as if studying the open space behind me. Suddenly, with a faint gust of wind, Saber and Archer fade into reality, the sight as if they literally formed themselves part by part while bathing in a golden light. Only with Saber being so close do I realize how much of his body is actually armored. Not much, it is just his left arm, running down from his shoulder, and the lower half of his body. His chest as well as his right arm is only protected by a layer of leather.

"We are Servants. Heroic Spirits or Legendary Souls by name, we are Elementals of Humanity, drawn and put into containers in order to give us physical form as well as the ability to enter this war." Saber's low voice always surprises me whenever it starts booming across the room. Even as he explains, his giant swords dangles behind him, partially covered by a flowing cloak hanging from its sheath.

"So... You're ghosts? No way..." Surprised again, my hand unconsciously reaches out to touch Saber as if trying to curb my disbelief, only to have me pull my fingers back when I realizes what I was doing. When Saber notices me, he quickly grabbed my hand with his right hand, and a surge or strength and warmth grazes against my skin. A second later, he lets go almost automatically. That made me realize what I felt is real, that Saber feels very much human than spirit.

"As you can see, we have physical form, granted to us when we entered this war. While we are Heroes from the past which ascended to another plane because of the legendary deeds we did in our time of living, the only reason our souls can manifest in this time is because of the Grail itself, it is it's power that we are alive again. But, we are spirits by nature, and thus we can fade into our spirit form when we do not require a physical touch." Through Saber's almost monotonous tone, he goes on and on, the terms feeding to my mind almost too much for me to handle, that I feel myself wobbling when he finishes.

All I got is that ghosts and spirits are real now, Saber and Archer are spirits themselves. Okay, and Servants are actually figures from the past, who was famous for what they did.

When the thought trails there, my eyes slowly gazes upon Saber, and then onto Archer, who shot me back a curious glance. Does this mean they're the Heroes of stories people know and love? Did they really exist, or are they just made up? Certainly they look like legendary figures, the way they handled their weapons as well as the way they look.

Well, I guess seeing them before me only confirms their existence. This is all so crazy!

"Huh, I expected all the Servants to be wielding swords, but Masaru, yours wields crossbows, I think..." When my eyes fall down to those mechanical contraptions that seems like a combination of both a short sword and a crossbow adorned over both the Servant's arms, the words just mumbles out. Suddenly surprised, Masaru blinks his eyes a few times before a smile stretches across his face.

"Nice observation, Servants are divided into seven classes, and at any one time, there will always be only one of that class..." Masaru continues on, stepping forward while the presence of Saber slowly disappears just as he steps back and leans against the wall, at the opposite side of where Masaru's Servant is. "The classes are..."

"Knight of the Sword, Saber."

"Knight of the Bow, Archer."

"Knight of the Lance, Lancer."

"The One atop the Chariot, Rider."

"Practitioner of Magecraft, Caster."

"Killer from the Shadows, Assassin."

"Mindless Beast, Berserker."

"So my Servant's called Saber, and yours is... Archer?" I try to make sense of what I hear, and puts it into words. Masaru then nods in reply.

"You still have that gizmo I gave you the other night?" Masaru gives out with a finger pointing at me when his eyes looks at me. I guess I must have had a confusing look on my face. At his suggestion, the gadget is pluck out from my bag. As the machine comes to life with my touch, there shows the many classes Masaru mentioned, with Masaru's Servant and my own filling the roles of Saber and Archer.

"Sight of the Mind? Blessing of the Fairies? What are these?" New slots seems to have opened up, revealing more and more information. The text just flow down seamlessly, providing much information about the new terms that appeared for Saber and Archer.

"Those are just skills our Servants possess. That's the reason I gave that tech to you. Trained Magi like me don't need it, but you do." Masaru gives his reply, mentioning another curious word. Well, at the very least, I now know that I have five more enemies to fight, to survive against. They could be total strangers, so I hope I'm ready when the time comes. Strangely, another slot filled with question marks within the three dimensional image catches my attention.

"True name? Like the name they used before they died?' That is what is written, flashing before me. When I try to find out more, all I get is a big error from the machine. I can only look to Masaru for an answer.

"I'm sorry, I don't know about Saber's, but I can't tell you Archer's." Masaru replies, his tone dying down as the words end. I think he's a bit confused about his decision. Instantly, it strikes me as I just did something I shouldn't. Perhaps the identities of these Heroic Spirits actually means something in the war. But, no matter how hard I think, I just don't understand how a name can be so important.

"Ding Dong Ding Dong!"

Before anything else is said however, the sound of the bell signaling the end of school ring through the hallway. It's time to go home.

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><p>By the time we actually step out onto the courtyard, many of the students are already gone. The sky is still, blue from one end of my eyes to the another. The whole world feels as though it is stopped, waiting for something to start before moving on again. With so many things now tugging on my mind, I find my steps going slower and slower, falling behind of Masaru as he trudges on. Having vanished back into spirit form, I'm guessing Saber and Archer walked out of school right by our side. Every once in a while, I find myself running after him, just to keep up.<p>

Masaru says he doesn't know who Saber is, but he says he can't tell me about who Archer is. That means he knows who she is. Of all the legends I know about, I don't remember any female blade dancers. The more I think about it, about her baby blue eyes, her beautiful, flowing golden hair hidden behind her hood that makes mine look poor in comparison, the more I want to know who she is.

"Masaru-kun, why can't you tell me who Archer is?" In my effort to persuade him, I try to sound as cute as I can, shifting my voice higher. In the end, I just sound like those stereotypical cartoon girls I dislike so much.

"Uh... No, that's.. not gonna work!" Masaru retorts loudly as soon as he saw me, jerking his head and turning away. As I hop in front of him, his expression kinda betrays his words, as his cheeks flushes a deep red. "Look, Saber told you that Servants, the powerhouses in this war, are legendary beings from the past, right?" Still not looking my way, he tries to calm himself by talking, giving me his reason. It doesn't look like it's helping him much. With my eyes pinning on him, I nod to his words in agreement.

"Not every hero in legend was invincible, they had weaknesses." As he goes on, I started to realize why he didn't want to tell me. "With just a name, opposing Magi could figure out not just weak point to your Saber, but the tactics he employs, the skills he has, the way he fights, it would provide the enemy much advantage over the battle." Soon, I find myself looking down, scolding myself in my mind at how unreasonable I was actually being. No doubt Masaru has a wish of his own, and even if he's kind to me, he's still going to participate in the war. He's still going to fight.

"...Sorry." Walking past the school gates, an apology makes its way out of my mouth. I only feel a warm hand patting on my head before opening my eyes to Masaru's gentle smile.

"Don't worry, you're just getting a hang of things." With his comforting words, I feel a strange sense of peace even amidst the current mess I find myself forced into. Suddenly, it feels as though a pair of eyes turned towards me, and with it a huge sense of overwhelming presence. It all but captures my attention. With my jerking steps, I instinctively turn to my back, looking back to the school. From the tree in the far corner to the walls at the other end, the school looked as empty as ever.

Before I know it, the powerful aura disappears.

"Akemi-san? What's wrong?" When I wipe away the beads of sweat that formed on my forehead, Masaru stands before me, staring with a concerned look on his face. Could it be an enemy? No way, what would he be doing at school? Brushing off the feeling as nothing more than my imagination, I flash a smile back at Masaru, hoping to get his mind off of his worry.

"Uh... nothing, never mind. Let's just go home, Masaru-kun!" With my problems currently on hold, Masaru and I begin taking steps on the road out of school. Even as I try to strike up a conversation, the words just dies down after a few seconds, with me returning to silence while Masaru sink deep into thoughts with a serious look on his face. This war for a stupid cup feels as though it has driven a wedge between us, I fear in the coming days, it may intrude into my life far worse than I can ever imagine.

Walking down the asphalt road, I can't help but give out a long sigh as we walk home together.

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><p><strong>Ah, another explanation chapter. Man, these are difficult to write because I know most readers would know them already, still I try my best to keep them interesting! With a load of information and the thought of war now floating in Akemi's mind, she finds herself drawn along with the current, not knowing exactly what to do! How will the story continue? Oh, are the honorifics getting annoying? Does some parts of my writing feel out of place or just plain strange? Please, tell it to me in your reviews, don't hold back!<strong>


	8. Chapter 7: Hounds Howling

**Author's Note:**

**I apologize for such a late update, but this one required time to think of, time I didn't have until now. The day has not ended quite yet, as the war carries on with every second ticking by. As the sun sets, another conflict begins...**

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><p><strong>Chapter 7: Hounds Howling.<strong>

The hissing of the rain seems like it's going to go on forever. Seconds after night fell on this land, the rumble in the skies brought with them a most gloomy torrent, crashing onto the earth as if nature itself was determined to wash away the filth on the land. As I stand by the door, I can feel the tiny droplets of water flickering on the surface of my skin, the howl of the wind beating in huge gusts, but, I feel no chill, none of the dreaded cold. At times I wonder if I was made like this, but the futility of such a question often made an answer unnecessary, resulting in me dropping it almost immediately.

Though I have my hood over my head, as well as the edges of the building itself stretching over me, the constant beating of the rain soon becomes too much. After all, my movements can't be hindered by anything, be it an enemy's curse or the weight of the rain, so I begin to take my steps into the hallway itself. My eyes had kept watch, my attention landed upon this school when I found out two of the six other Masters frequent this location.

"Thmp. Thmp. Thmp."

Each of my steps resonated in the darkness. Slowly, I find myself walking forth, as if a strange desire compels me. I close my eyes to see this very hall filled with the laughter of student, other people of my same age enjoying the routine of their life. For that slight moment, the objective of my mission seems to disappear.

Strange, there are no traces of magic, the grounds has not been touched by Prana. It is as peaceful as it is at night as it is under the light of the sun. But, that alone is an impossibility, I have watched these magi traverse into the school, spend their time among the masses. If not to use it as a safe-house, and harness the souls of the people for their Servants, why else would they even step foot in this place while at war?

"Ka-boom!"

Stepping into one of the classrooms, the drumming of thunder escalates with each passing second the storm grows. Finding my way to the seat by the windows, a certain memory appears in my mind, of the girl watching me with curious eyes earlier today. She stared right at me through this very same window at the side of this seat. I had seen the conflict that happened this afternoon, she is a Master. But, I saw no malice in the light of her eyes, they only showed concern, even for a stranger like me.

"No, it has to be my own imagination." She is a Master in this war, more likely to be a sadist accustomed to the spilling of blood than a kind, gentle soul, it's better for me to just forget about what I saw. Though I seek to wipe the memory from my mind, her golden hair was mesmerizing enough to put the act itself difficult. Without any logic, I find myself wanting to meet her, as my fingers traced across the wooden surface of her designated seat.

_Ba-dump._

My heart feels as though it's going to burst out of my chest, ramming its way up my throat. Sweat forms on the palm of my hands, my feet stumbles as if the ground itself is losing its balance, shifting from one side to the other. A spike of pain shoot up the back of my spine, then to all other parts of my body, like metal rods driving through my veins, looking to pierce through the pores of my skin. I know what this feeling is, but even as I anticipate the worse, I still find myself falling to my knees, gritting down hard on my teeth.

"Thump, thud!" The sound of my body knocking against the tables is loud, penetrating through what noise the storm outside produced. And yet, I can do little but endure. The pain seems unnatural, as if something is drawing out every fiber of my being, forcibly. I know...

_Throb._

"...this is just something I have to get used to." Insane throbbing, a splitting headache strikes the back of my mind. My blurry vision opens up to the blank floor at the side of the table, the sight of my fists clenched, crushing down on my flesh, can be seen. Beads of sweat just keep pouring out, flowing down my skin as the wave of weakness accompanied the intervals of pain, with each pulse of the sensation leaving me drained. Only when the nausea stop do even feel the strength to move again, feeling slowly etching back into my fingers.

"Hah..." So this is the so-called burden, I must adapt, lest it robs me of performance. In no time at all, my arms pull me up, bringing my eyes to the edge of the window once more. The storm shows no sign of stopping through my side of the glass, and amidst the muddled view caused by the heavy rain backed by lightning and thunder, a shape appears. It is strange at first, but soon it becomes clearer. A humanoid figure stands at the rooftop of the opposite building.

Then, my eyes focus, eyebrows furrows at what I was seeing.

There is little time to think, it feels like my body realizes the danger earlier than my mind do, relinquishing control of my movements to instincts. A flash of light beam forth from the figure hidden in the rain, bearing the same hue as the lightning in the clouds. Pushing strength down, my leg crushed the concrete floor, the edges of my feet splitting and cracking out. Then, a jump, hurling myself to the sides.

"Crack! Doom! Crash!"

My body hit against the side walls, the pain I feel is nothing compared to what I see before me. The area I stood just seconds before was obliterated, concrete, glass and debris all over, with a large gaping hole in place of where the windows were. I try to find out what weapon was used, but comes to no conclusion, it's just impossible from sight alone. Crashing my arms into the floor before me, I bounce myself back on my feet with inhuman speed, not that the act itself surprises me. There is no time, the next objective appears in my mind, and I turn to my back, and begin running towards the door out of the classroom.

"Boom!Crash!"

An explosion, just like the one before, blasting off from my back. The utter destruction of concrete and the expelling of force, I can feel the heat pushing towards me.

"Guh!" The blast throws me off my feet, sending my body flying, slamming against the row of lockers in the main hallway. The impact is surprising, but it only leaves my body slightly numb. Still, the disorientation of everything happening leaves me stunned. Slowly, I get up, my back to the row of metal boxes the students uses. Through wavering vision, I see two figures approaching from the dust clouds, slowly making their way towards me. But, their murderous intent is nothing to scoff at, almost suffocating me out of consciousness.

"Impossible! You're still alive?" The figure speaks with a surprised tone, his steps getting louder and louder. No doubt he didn't expect any human to live through the initial strikes, but I can't say I'm disappointed that I did. "I thought I felt a surge of Prana exploding forth from you... I know you're more than just a regular Magus." His words continue, out of the smoke, the silhouettes reveals themselves to be a man with short, buzz-cut light brown hair, shooting forth just above his forehead, dressed in a long trench-coat with heavy duty boots.

Behind him came the killer in silence, a monster in the shape of a man. He is clad in Nordic armor, plates and chain-mail accompanying fur and leather. Each of his steps sound off like he has a thousand weapons on him, clanking and ringing non-stop. His both hands are armed, a runic lance, beautifully sculpted from one end to the other, and a twin-sided axe, ornate and ancient in design. It isn't the towering headpiece nor his right eye, which glows with an eerie light, that sends shivers down my spine. It is his presence, that itself radiates death. He feels more demon than human, but I know he is neither.

"Now why don't you show us who you really are?" He stand before me, seemingly forgetting the need to kill me, a naive mistake. But, I stare him down, as I can do little else. I need to think, to find a way out, for one wrong move can mean the end of my life in an instant. "Not talking, huh? Courtesy wasted, I guess." He sounds annoyed, as he look to his Servant with amber eyes, giving him a slight nod.

Then, without warning, a flash of light brightens up the room for but an instant. The same eerie light coming from his Servant's right eye.

Before even giving myself time to panic, my attention snaps back to my body, driven by the searing heat burning through my scarf, my hood. By the time my head recovers from the flash, I can already feel the fire chewing on my skin, the smell of charred flesh wafting through my nostrils. In accordance, my hands reaches for the piece of cloth, clutching on to it despite coming into contact with the flames, and tearing it off of my neck. While twisting my body and getting rid of the flame, the reflection on the metal lockers shows the very sight I wanted to hide.

A crimson blade runs up my neck, stretching from my chest, with similar red lines stretching out like a disease rotting down my flesh. It glows with a light of seemingly unlimited power because of the presence of another Master. My crystal white hair dangles above, just stopping above my shoulders. I turn back to my hunter, to see him surprised for a moment, before recollecting himself a second after.

"Well, you're a Master as well. That means you'll have to die here toni-" Before he finishes his words, my feet spring into action, dashing forward with so much strength than the ground cracked from where I stood just seconds before. Slipping down to the ground, I swing my two legs in a sweep, supporting myself with my hands. At no time at all, collision comes in the form of impact, knocking the man off his feet. Before his body touch the ground, my fist flies against his chest, crushing into flesh and sending him flying from the strike itself.

At the same time, I catch the sight of the sharpened lance flying towards me, aiming for my heart. It is moving so fast the weapon seems fuzzy, distorted. If left unopposed, I will find my heart pierced.

"Swoosh! Crank!" However, in mid flight, a huge, intimidating force blocks it path, knocking it away with monstrous power. To my eyes, it seems almost too erratic to even look possible, but these eyes have seen little to give proper clarity. For a single second, I am free, and my legs kick off, my body scrambling to the two huge doors leading outside.

"Hah... Hah..." In any case, my breathing is still appropriate, my heartbeat stable. Behind me, I can hear the voice of the man, furious at what just happened, screaming out his words. The memory of his face, his features, is still clear in my mind, and it didn't take long before I figured out who he is. Still, to fight confined by the walls of the school is more of a disadvantage for me, and thus, my steps hasten as my feet pound their way through what seems like a never-ending hallway, jumping my way down the stairs and forming craters with each step.

Taking out a piece of silver from my pockets, I prompt my body with the suggestion. The image appears in my mind, one where a fetus is being crushed, before the canals of my Magic Circuits are opened. Prana flushes out like a tsunami, I can barely direct them to run through my Magic Crest on my back. In a split second, the spell is retrieved, processed and executed, as I toss the piece of silver behind me. There, it exploded, expanded and grew. Spikes erupted out from its center, piercing into the stone walls and then growing even more. Soon, all passage behind me is effectively sealed off.

And yet, I watch as it breaks down almost immediately, disintegrated into tiny little pieces. Explosions rend through the obstacles I placed, while some of the spikes just retracted as if time is rewinding right before my eyes. It seems the praise given to the man that is my opponent is not misplaced. He is as skillful and talented as they say he is.

"Creak!"

The twin doors slowly opens up to the still gloomy weather, the whole of the school grounds being washed by the torrent of rain, lightning and thunder. There in the middle of the courtyard, the pair stands, more menacing than ever. The Servant has already taken a stance, his weapons raised at his side. The man that is his Master glare at me with his vengeful eyes, like someone whose pride has been hurt. That is, until a second later, he seems to calm down, straightening his back.

"I thought I recognized that white hair..." As if frustrated, he begin spewing his words with an annoying tone. The sound of the gushing rain is loud, as if the storm cheers on, the sky roaring out in tandem with our confrontation. "You're that runt of the litter, right?" Just these few words is enough to make me grit down my teeth with anger. These were not the words expected of such a highly respected individual, one said to bear the pride of the Clock Tower. "The one failure, that sent the Einzbern bloodline plummeting down to its final hours!" He screams out, as if encouraged by what he sees before him.

There is always the possibility of killing him, tonight, at this very place, but there is complications, probabilities. But now, my mind throws them out the window. No matter who he is, I can't forgive those who speak ill of my Family. At any cost, I will crush his neck with my bare hands tonight.

"Shut up!" With my mind almost overcome by fury and anger, I surprise myself with audible words. It is my turn to glare, my turn to project my intent with a spiteful glare. For a second, the man seems to flinch back, before taking his stance once more. His Servant stands motionless, like a golem awaiting his Master's command.

"Barthomeloi Aleister! I swear in the name of my Bloodline, that I, Ira von Einzbern, will run no more, and I will kill you tonight!" Never have I been so certain, but this desire feels true.

In the chaos of it all, the storm sends its regards in the form of rapid lightning strikes, thunder booming from the land. I can feel it, the presence of the being I willed into existence materializing. Energy and prana surges through the air around the rooftop of the school building, just at the top of my eyes. There, where it would overlook the whole courtyard, a tall figure, a bulky shadow appears, melting into the physical realm. As with any beast, he pounces, leaping off the roof and lunging towards the enemy Servant like a mad dog.

"Go, Berserker." The command is hardly necessary. Even I don't have complete confidence that I'm able to restrain him once he's unleashed. He charges, materializing completely as he closes in at insane speed. Quaking steps causing them to turn, both Aleister and his Servant saw the eyes of my beast before he gives out an ear-splitting roar.

"Rrrwwwaaauuurrrggghhh!"

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><p><strong>In the night, another pair begin their fight! This chapter introduces a second character that we'll be following as the story progresses. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and once again, I'm really sorry about how late this is. Give me your thoughts in your reviews and keep your eyes out for the next update!<strong>


	9. Chapter 8: Lightning And Thunder

**Author's Note:**

**How many weeks has it been? I'm sorry for not updating in a while, my free time changed when I got a job. Now let's get back to the story. Last chapter introduced a second protagonist to my story, Ira von Einzbern. Just what kind of a character is he? Why is he in the war? How will he fare?**

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><p><strong>Chapter 8: Lightning And Thunder.<strong>

The splashing of the raindrops feels louder than ever, the sound magnifies into explosions as the numerous droplets shatters onto the asphalt ground, stretching out into what seems like a courtyard of some sorts, situated in front of the school, coming right between the hallway and the gates leading out to the City. The scarcity of vision is only enhanced by the blanket of night around us. What would have been a silent scene as the hour hand slowly approaches midnight, the pounding and roaring of the rain pours down relentlessly, the sky itself as if doing its best to flood the lands.

"Swoosh! Ka-shink! Clank!"

Those were the few sounds I caught from the dozens shooting out, overpowering the loud, pouring rain. Sparks exploding with every impact, every clash, every trading of attacks, enough to light up the night by a tiny bit. It only makes me think how powerful they really are. In the distance stands the scene that has the enemy Magus's eyes, as well as mine, locked to it as if moths drawn to a flame. The only real reason we keep ourselves from getting closer is the fact that either one of us can get obliterated just by the mere proximity to the backlash of their strikes. There, mere meters away, lies the clash of spirits, dead souls of the past, their stories immortalized in legends.

"Uuuwwwrrruuuaaaggghhh!"

The towering figure that is my Servant continues his assault, his faded golden hair and pale skin masked by an assortment of armor, charred to the point where any of its details becomes unrecognizable. He stands a head taller than the enemy Servant, and with insane speed, sends his punches piercing through the air, his gauntlets and bracers flying only to have them knocked off trajectory by that enemy Servant. With his eerie right eye glowing through the rain, his armor clinks as he raises the axe and the spear in his hands. Every impact, every exchange of blows, burst into millions of sparks all around them, as the ground creaks and craters forms by their footsteps alone.

"Crack! Krash! Doom!"

Every sharp step each of the Servants makes results in the deterioration of the courtyard around them. Mere change of steps, from lifting their feet to stomping down for support, sends craters and ruptures screaming out from the ground below them. My Servant lunges and crashes, flailing around with little to no precision to his actions, his arms thrown and lashing out at the armor clad barbarian in great arcs, treating them like wrecking balls. Thus, the enemy Servant, with white hair running down his back and a beard almost equal in length, is slowly pushed, forced into a defensive position.

Definitely not a stance one should take against Berserker.

"Wwwrrruuuaaaooorrrggghhh!"

I still can't tell if his piercing roar is one of anger, annoyance or pain. But, using it as a signal, Berserker's assault only get stronger, raising his gauntlets above the two locked in conflict. Though lithe in general size, the black armor, edges spiked and surface charred to black, makes my Servant look like a monster. With the height of a giant, Berserker throws down the anvil that is his arms amidst the pouring rain all around us, roaring out with bloodshot eyes devoid of pupils and possessed by pure, feral rage.

"Ka-shink!"

A surprise, raising both axe and spear, the enemy Servant managed to block Berserker's attack! If I hadn't grip my fist to calm myself I would've burst out screaming. But strange things happens all the time in the Magi world, that much I was taught. This is nothing. Still, the sight before me is getting harder and harder to accept. Clad from head to toe in ornate armor, sculpted with the faces of wolves, eagles and adorned with unknown symbols, the Servant who looks more like someone too old to fight, moves with lightning fast speed, his muscles literally pumping before my eyes as he pushes against Berserker's assault.

"Clank!"

My Servant swings his arm like a mace, fueling his attack with ferocity, only to have it deflected by the shoulder-plate of the enemy Servant. It would have been a warning, a confirmation of my defeat tonight, if not for the huge dent forming as the the armor bends into an unimaginable shape, before finally splitting apart with a crack. Not a surprise, considering the mere swing of Berserker's arms could crack the ground around them even without direct contact.

A tiny hint of surprise appears on the enemy Servant's face, before another bludgeon of a fist is sent down on him, Berserker roaring with every strike, the attack so sudden my eyes can barely follow. The enemy Servant has no choice but to dodge it, but with the jump to the side, he counters with a blast of wind, a ferocious attack with insane speed, way faster than before, his spear lunging at Berserker's right temple!

"Skletch!"

It take but an instant, and before I know it, the bloody spear has been pulled out, skin ripping at the mere movement. Footsteps rumble as my Servant stumbles back from the attack, blood spilling out from the right side of his darkened, feral face, his pale skin stained by dark, crimson blood. As the enemy Servant backs away, taking this few seconds of reprieve to ready himself, Berserker stands silent. I can't see any movement, or even hear a single growl.

"Fwoosh!"

Suddenly, the peace is broken with a single step, one of unimaginable magnitude.

"Ooowwwuuurrrraaaggghhh!"

Intent come spilling out from his roar, translating into pure physical force, waves pummeling out against me. The force is overwhelming, a showcase of pure power, blowing wind and sand out like an explosion, forcing me to raise my arms to shield my vision from being impaired. The beast that is my Servant burst into a feral roar, even more madder than before, as the ground around them cracks and crumbles from his presence alone. Right now, he looks more annoyed than anything else, even with that wound that bloodied the side of his face.

"Mindless beast, you soil the very image of Heroic Spirits by your presence alone! I've had enough of your mad howling!" The armor clad elder raises his weapons in defiance once more, the eerie crimson glow emanating from his right eye only glowing brighter, a sharp glare shooting out.

Impossible, does he have no common sense? Is he really getting agitated at Berserker? Before I can gather my thoughts, movements occurs as the two lunges at each other, murderous intent exploding forth.

"Swoosh!"

Waves and waves of power keep on pumping out of the two Ghost Liners, only growing stronger with each blow. With tranquil fury, a complete opposite of my own Servant, the elder throws a slash in a wide arc before him with the ornate axe in hand, the raindrops themselves sliced and pushed out of the way by the pure force of the swing.

"Skritch!"

Whether it is instinct or sense that drive him, Berserker's body moves as if knowing the strike would come, and dodges the blow that would have sliced through his stomach. The ground quakes at his speedy yet crushing steps, but he's not fast enough, and the axe rips through the skin of his unarmored abdomen. In reflex, Berserker raises his armored claw almost immediately, bringing it down like an anvil at the enemy Servant.

"Crack."

"Guh!" A grunt of pain comes out of the enemy Servant's mouth, as the claw plunges down and mows into his flesh, the bones of his neck cracking so loudly the sound shoots out around the battlefield. The neck should've been broken right there, but even I can't say what's what when it comes to Servants. A hateful glare beaming out of his one, left eye, the enemy Servant raises his wood-carved spear emblazoned with sculpted metal and runic symbols, and drives it down into Berserker's elbow with blinding speed, as if infuriated by what happened.

Then, with little than a second passed, the spear rips itself free from flesh and bone as the enemy Servant shoots it forward, sending it piercing at Berserker's throat!

"Suretch!"

"Gragh! Uuurrruuuaaarrrggghhh!" Berserker screams with a roar of defiance. I don't believe what I'm seeing. It's difficult to comprehend that there's any class out there among the other Servants that can actually overpower and outmatch Berserker, but this enemy Servant has his stats nearly pushing past A rank as well, just like Berserker's. And the sight of my Servant standing, roaring out in anger, his voice more cruel and hating than ever before despite his stomach ripped open, his throat torn and the right side of his head ravaged, surprises me even more. Awe and fear fight their way for dominance within both my heart and my mind, and I don't even how I should be feeling.

One thought keep itself present at the back of my mind, though. Constantly forcing its way out of my thoughts whenever I try to forget it.

He doesn't deserve this. To fight for me while chained by madness. Reduced to nothing more than a feral beast. His legend deserves better.

The epic clash of strength and steel tells me of many things. This fight can't be dragged out for long, it can't get pinned down at this spot. The battlefield itself would get obliterated, down to the very ground they're standing on. Also, from the way he commanded his spear, the simple yet beautifully crafted weapon in his arms, with such speed, technique and precision, confirms my thoughts.

"Servant Lancer..." I mutter out to myself, and as my eyes shift towards the brown haired master at the opposite of this phenomenon. The blue blood had his eyes completely focused on the clash between our Servants just as I had. Both of us did nothing but stand still as the fight goes on, because any slight movement, any mistake right now, can cost us our life. That idea makes sticking close to our Servants, within the field of their protection, that much more logical.

And, there's no doubt about it. Just watching the display of skill, strength and speed, his armor and chain-mail ringing with every step, his immense power with every blow, I can tell.

This enemy Servant is the strongest Lancer in all of history.

Still, the rain keeps on pounding, the ferocity of the down pour never stopping, as if the very nature around us keeps up with what's happening before me. Before me, the bloodied mad beast that is my Servant, the hero of his own story, keeps on fighting, as if refusing to fail in his duties as my Servant. Even with his wounds, Berserker only gets stronger and faster than before. With the ferocity of a beast, Berserker flails with greater intensity, throwing his arms from one side to another, crushing the very ground every time Lancer barely dodges his attacks by a hair's width.

"He's still moving?" Meters away, I finally hear the Barthomeloi's voice, his first words one of surprise and annoyance. The thought of breaking his high expectations he had of his own Servant feels extremely satisfying.

"Grr... Gragh!" My own Servant only gives out grunts and roars, unintelligible to almost anyone, but I have gotten used to his sounds, his presence. As his right arm comes smashing towards Lancer, he dual wields both weapons magnificently, and raises them to block the crushing blow. The sight brings a smile to my face, as from the few meters away, I know it is a feint. The humungous left arm jabs into Lancer's right side, crushing into his armor, his stomach and his ribs with even greater speed than before, like a giant, disfigured mace is used as a sword, impaling through another person's flesh.

"Augh! Gah!" It's unexpected to hear Lancer's wise, elderly voice in pain, something I feel myself avoiding my ears from, but the sound only means I'm getting closer to victory.

"Ggguuuaaarrrggghhh!"

Driven by blood, the thrill of the hunt, what he sees before him, his enemy in pain, only fuels his strength, such is the will of the Berserker. As if he needed, or wanted more power, Berserker clenches his fists together, gauntlets fixed together and raises it up, before sending it down at an insane speed. Though tall and lithe, even with his armor, Berserker's strength feels unparalleled, breaking through stone, steel and flesh alike.

"Crack!"

With a hint of worry in his eye, Lancer tries his best to block the giant anvil that is Berserker's arms crushing down on him, crossing both axe and spear to block the attack.

"Ugh!" Sparks flies out from the impact, I watch as Lancer gives out a grunt, his body throws itself back with each strike, the assault never slowing down, never stopping. His armor cracks from the attacks, breaking from the immense strength of the beast. Waves of force pulses out as each Servant pours in greater amount of Prana for their actions, blowing off the raindrops gushing down on them. The very ground below him only shatters as it is obliterated from the pounding smashing Lancer down, crushing him through the stone and concrete.

"Lancer!" The blue blood screams at his servant from behind him, getting slightly anxious from the sight of what's happening. I can't blame him, if this goes on, Lancer might get ripped apart, limb from limb. As the feral roar pierces through the air with each pound, each crushing smash, Lancer finds himself unable to move, to react to the speed. Once he relaxes, every bone in his body would be broken, no matter how high his Strength is. Because of the panic, I watch from my side as Barthomeloi steps beyond the safe zone, getting too close to the Servants locked in combat.

Big mistake.

"Master, we'll need to get to-" Even his words comes out muzzled, conversing while gathering his strength for the assault seems extremely difficult for him, as dust, sand and stone sends themselves flying out from just being close to what's happening.

"Augh!" As the sight of what is happening blurs too much for me to perceive, Berserker roars as his arms comes down in his strongest, wildest smash ever. The last thing I see is Lancer forced off his feet, Berserker's attacks crushing him while the blue blood falls as well from the quakes shooting out from the Servants. That cry from before must have been Barthomeloi.

After that, smoke blowing off in the rain, silence assumes across the courtyard. As far as I know, only I'm left standing, pinning my eyes at the cloud of dust, looking out for what's happened. Preparing myself for anything.

"Gah!" It is sudden, and the next thing I know, I fall to one knee, fist clenching. It is the same feeling that's been punching every part of my body ever since Berserker materialized, but this wave feels like the worst. Prana forced out of my body, when I close my eyes I can literally see it being ripped out of my circuits. "Hah.. Hah.." Berserker's wounds must be severe for him to drain so much of my prana at once.

But the fact that this is happening can be nothing more than good news. As this means he's-

"Wwwrrraaauuuggghhh!"

The howl of the beast, my beast, confirms my thoughts. At least he's still alive.

"Crash!" Standing up again, the smoke clears as the familiar servant clad in broken armor, wielding both axe and shield, leap up with a pulse of strength and power, throwing himself through the windows of the third floor and into the school. His face is slightly tinged with fear, but the he still maintains the conviction in his eyes, despite what seems like a broken body. Seconds later, the ashen beast Berserker pounces after him, smashing the entryway bigger with feral rage and the instincts of the hunt. It didn't take long before I lose sight of either of them.

But, the blue blood wasn't with Lancer, no doubt Lancer's way of keeping his Master safe. Walking through the rubble of the battlefield, the very ground where Heroic Spirits clashed, I look around to see it completely different from what it looked like before. The simple courtyard looks as though it had been struck by an earth quake, the stone wrenched out of the ground here and there while some parts sunk. Amidst the rubble, I see the enemy Master, slowly pushing his body up with trembling arms.

"Get up, blue blood. It's insulting to kill you like this..." Seeing the great Barthomeloi Aleister now struggling with a shiver to his touch before me is quite the sight. But, why did I say those words? Perhaps I expected more from the pride of the Clocktower. Well, now I'll never know. My steps breaking off into a sprint, I draw prana from my circuits, grabbing a platinum bar from my pockets. Closing in on him, the bar morphs and shifted, its shape and volume twisting in an amalgam of forms, before finalizing as a claw around my right hand.

As I plunge my new weapon through his back, fingers snaking around his heart before crushing it, I find myself speaking out the words.

"Too late."

* * *

><p><strong>What a chapter, the clash of Servants and the death of a Master already? Just what is the outcome of this fight? How will this fight have an impact on the story later on? From the ruins of the Einzbern family comes a harsh, cold and calculative Master unfazed by everything around him, with only the seriousness in his eyes, what will this mean for Akemi? Well, give me your thoughts for this chapter in your reviews and keep your eyes out for the next one!<strong>


	10. Chapter 9: Blue Blood

**Author's Note:**

**Ideas, loads of them, just keeps clogging up my mind, then vanishing to the depths. It's been a while since the last update, and I apologize for that to those who's following this story. The battle between Masters and Servants continues, blasting through the pouring night. Will this chapter conclude the death of the first Master?**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9: Blue Blood.<strong>

Lightning and thunder chimes through the night, splitting through the gushing rain. It doesn't take long before the whole of my body stands drenched, the looming black clouds roaring above me in the sky. My body in pain, stillness fills the scene, even as my muscles curled, throbbing with every passing second. Pushing away the silver strands of my fringe wet with rain, I find the uncontrollable urge of taking a look at Aleister's lifeless, unmoving body, a clearer look at his face.

Is this respect? For someone who's life was just taken away?

The heir of the renowned Barthomeloi family line lays motionless, his skin pale. Pulling back my hand, the very hand that crushed his once beating heart, results in the claw around my fingers crumbling into dust, washed away by the rain. The wound had spilled forth a puddle of crimson red, slowly spreading out from where his heart laid. Within the blood, tiny hints of azure blue can be seen flickering, as if each and every cell in his body struggles as they fade away.

I find myself lost in the stare, my vision digging into the tiny blue lights. As my grazed knees, the skin close to tearing, presses against the stony ground of whatever that's left of the quadrangle, my Servant's feral howl lingered amidst the hissing of the rain. In my sight, the body and I lies in the epic-center of a location utterly destroyed, the product of the mindless beast.

I didn't feel like moving. I think exhaustion has overtaken the whole of my body.

His broken limbs, the blood pulsing with Prana, his mechanical disposition makes it difficult to believe he was alive and hoping just hours ago. Losing his life here, so far into the Eastern lands, means there will be little chance his family would even chance upon the news of his death. There will be no one to mourn for him, no hands to scatter his ashes against the four winds. That is when I feel something move within me.

"... If anything, I admit I still hold some admiration for you, Barthomeloi. Even after death, even after what you said..." Still kneeling, the hate I had moments ago is still there, lingering. But, I can feel it fading...

Why am I saying all this? He is my enemy. I swore to kill him. I... don't understand...

"Crack! Ka-boom!"

"Well, I guess I'm honored. You didn't seriously think I'd died that easily, do you?" The words and the voice hums out of the thunder's clap, shocking my mind. Following the source, my body moves on reflex, pushing away the raindrops falling before me as I turn to the voice. The confusion, the disorientation, the sheer disconnection from reality wrecks my mind to no end, my focus barely keeping together. No man should be able to stand after getting his heart pierced and ruptured, not even in the world of Magecraft!

There, the constant beating of rain withering down on his shirt and trench-coat, stands the man I just saw dead at my feet seconds ago. Short, spiky hair adorns over his chiseled face, he faces me with a smile, and assurance of victory. His victory, that is. One can literally feel the aura of confidence he has emanating from his posture. Tracing his body with my eyes, my sight stops right by his extended hand, his fingers primed for something.

"Clack!"

A loud, bone-crunching snap. It seems strange, out of place among the many probabilities now flashing across my mind. That is, until my eyes catch sight of an azure glow encircling his fingers, stretching down to his elbow, before sound and pressure all but takes me. In the corner of my eyes, the similar glow of multiplied proportions devours me, from where my arm was, from where his 'body' laid. A low, piercing hum robs me of my hearing, flooding my ears as the volume rises exponentially in mere seconds before it finally culminates...

"Kaboom!"

Smoke overwhelms my eyes, my nose. The very first thing I feel is the tinge of heat before my skin is charred black. Sparks shreds against my face like the shrapnel of a grenade. Even before anything else, as if born of some unseen feeling written inside of me, my body forces all of its strength to my legs, and I lunged to the sides, cracking stone and sand.

"Thud!"

"Ugh..." Landing chest first to the ground, wave of heat exploded as edges grind against my body, tearing skin and flesh. For all my strength and speed, pain is always still there, no matter how tiny and hidden. My body tenses with each tiny throb pulsing through my being. With burns at one side, I throw a hateful glare at Aleister, at where he stand without thinking. Only his insolent, wry smile come into view, even as he's drenched in the rain with me, his fingers up again.

"Clack! Clack! Clack!"

Three snap of his fingers in quick succession. I wasn't sure the first time, but I'm certain now. Prana swirls and convulses in the air around me, as the piles of rubble a few feet away shoots out rays of the same, bluish tint. The bright light unbearable, and even with my hand over my eyes, the feeling of despair within me only grows.

"Kaboom! Crash! Kaboom!"

* * *

><p>"Crack! Thud!" Amidst my tumbling vision, I realized my body, like a dead weight, crashed through the doors and into the school. I can't rightly remember exactly what happened. I just saw a wave of lights, blue and ominous, covering each corner of my eyes. With the roar of ignition, the pulse of force sent me reeling, my body thrown with great pressure towards a direction. Even as my sides scrape against the broken floor, I continue rolling a good distance before everything goes still.<p>

_Throb._

"...Uuurrraagghh.."

"Gah! Ack! Hah... Hah.. No time to be.. hah.. lying around..." I awake to the roar of my beast, it's faint howl still pulsing through the floors as my body slump on the ground. With fire in my veins, each step is a pain, as I drag my feet one in front of the other, right arm over my left. The burn marks still throbs with great intensity, despite the fact that my sense of touch is much less sensitive than that the living things have. It take seconds before I realize I am leaving a trail at my back, a puddle of blood pouring forth my my numerous wounds.

This has to be rectified. My fingers traced against the areas marked by pain at that thought, and the same image of a life taken flashes through my mind. Bright, luminous light swirls from my veins, leaking out from my fingertips. It is a desperate move, and only temporary, but this healing spell will suffice.

Seconds passed, and my wounds are soothed, my skin stitched closed. If anything, Aria does its job well. More importantly, the bleeding stopped. With no time to lose, my legs charge off, pouncing to the shadows.

…

Minutes passed, and everything seems quiet again. The confrontation I had before seems like something of a nightmare. Pressing my back against the cold metal wall of the locker I hauled my limping body into, I take this reprieve granted to me to gather my thoughts.

_Throb._

It is the only thing I can do keep hold of my consciousness from falling to the pain.

I have heard those stories before, tales of the legendary blood that runs in the veins of the Barthomeloi bloodline. They say their their spells surge with a strength unlike any other Magus capable, but I didn't expect such potency! Even within those spells just now, bombs made out of an insane amount of Prana, the careful weaving of the very threads of Odo and Mana, almost seemed to be at the level of Magic. I saw the surroundings affected by the spell, they don't just get obliterated, they vanish in an unseen void, their very existence erased!

"Thmp. Thmp. Thmp. Thmp."

Quaint, almost silent footsteps interrupt my chain of thoughts. From the gray clouds through the door outside, a silhouette forms, and Aleister fazes into sight, looking no more excited than a man bored out of his mind. Now, the inside of this locker makes me realize that getting in here was definitely not the greatest of my ideas. The air within smelled of blood and iron, the rusted edges of the steel cage lingering, almost engulfing my senses. Yet, no matter how repulsive, how much I wish to get out, I know the moment I do, I may very well lose my life. For now, Aleister holds the upper hand.

But, I do have one more card to play, a last trick up my sleeve...

The element of surprise.

From the tiny opening before my eyes, I watch and wait for Aleister to make a mistake, for an opportunity to exploit. He walks into the empty hall, tiny debris falling down from the ceiling every few seconds. It seems the tremors of battle between our two Servants are still going strong. The fact that a Lancer is standing on equal ground with a Berserker is insane. His trench coat swaying, Aleister's deep, brown eyes appears, just a few feet in front of the locker I'm in.

No time to lose. With the stilling of my mind, my veins charges with prana, a soft yellow light surging from my arms...

"Clank!"

The sound of metal breaking at my shove, a kick tosses the door of the locker I am in off its hinges, sending it crashing down out on the silent hallway. As soon as I see my target, my legs kick hard on the ground below, leaping forth as I pull my arms back. The preparation of Magecraft is already completed, now I only need to send it out.

"Hhhrrraaaggghhh!"

I don't really understand why I'm screaming. All that's on my mind is my spell, and its intended target. Barthomeloi Aleister.

"_Dmne Leah Ritbh!_"

_Kabbalah, the school of mind and thought._

_More specifically, Temurah, the twisted craft. The very properties of mind and matter, rearranged. The craft twists at properties at its core, often resulting in completely unexpected results. It is the pinnacle of randomization, the breaking and reforming of words, desires, thoughts and everything around us. However, with proper hold and the anchor of words and meaning, the branch of Magecraft can be willed towards the effects intended. I picked it up after I left the Einzbern Castle in Europe, learning and practicing as I traveled from place to place._

_I admit, it's not the most versatile form of Magecraft, nor is it the most efficient. But Blue used another similar branch in her repertoire, and her records only grew more impressive. Besides that, I have done all I can to bring this branch of Magecraft to its fullest potential, and now it bends at my heed and call._

The moment I fly to his face, Aleister's brown eyes flooding with the light of shock and surprise, I throw my punches, releasing the Prana as a Magecraft shaped by the words I yelled. My fingers dig into his sides, barely missing his chest, before my knuckles followed. The surging Prana leaps off my fingers and surrounds Aleister before a second's notice, before breaking down and reforming themselves almost instantaneously.

"Crack!"

The cracking impact resonating through my arms, the light of my spell beams out before the strike takes its full effect. As if stricken by everything happening around me, my vision catches Aleister's reaction in full detail. He does not have the time to scream. My attack in full strength blows him off his feet, sending him reeling towards the opposite direction just as his skin blackens slightly, as if the blood is drained. The next blink of my eyes, he is already meters away, quickly vanishing from my very sight, blending into the shadows within the open hallway.

"Crash!"

Aleister crashes when he hits the wall at the end of the hallway, bringing stone and metal down on him as the crash breaks into one of the numerous classrooms. Strange, I don't think I actually used that much force, certainly not enough to throw one man and send walls crashing down. If anything, I'll have to finish the job, make sure the blue blood stays down permanently. I'd rather be sad and mourning than have him still alive and kicking. With the thought in mind, my body break off into a run, ceramic tiles shattering at my every step, as I rush to the affected area of the school.

When I stop, I push forward, carefully maneuvering through the fallen debris of the wrecked wall when suddenly a tremor throws me off my balance.

"Whoa!" Sand and stone leaks out of the cracks splintering out from the ceiling, the very walls starts to break from the mere presence of the Servants. My, this location won't be able to stand much longer. Shifting my eyes to the windows still standing, the extremely heavy pouring of rain robs me of the sight beyond the glass. No doubt should this school crumble, there will be attention. I have to finish this with haste!

...What? I don't believe it. The sight before me is the area of impact, stone and metal crushed all around where Aleister crashed. Despite the strange formation of debris in front of me, right at the center, where Aleister should lay, his bones broken and barely alive, is...

"Empty? No way... where's he gone?"

!

Before anything else, I feel a tug on my legs, and an uncomfortable desire to pour my strength, every ounce of it, into my them, and just jump. The last thing I see is a slab of stone and earth, grizzled around the edges with its size almost covering up the entire floor, warped by Magecraft, hurling towards me like a truck.

"Krank! Kaplank! Crash!"

My mind roars out in pain even before my mouth can muster up a cry, as the weight of my body scrape down on my right arm, skin utterly torn by the mere impact of my fall. Earthen Magecraft! I should have known as soon as I saw those debris conspicuously placed together, as if they were manipulated. Sand, dust and the odor of blood gushes up my nose as I clench down on my teeth to endure the pain of each throbbing second.

As I look up, all I can see is the blue blood shuffling away in the distance, amidst my wavering vision.

"Cagh! Bastard! Aleister!" Unbridled anger, in my mind he has become much of an annoyance. My image of him is deteriorating by the seconds. Screaming out, my mind blocks out everything else as I lunge forward, kicking hard on the floor and leaving craters with each step. I'm done holding back. The whole of the school rumbles with my charge, shaking and stirring as if enjoying the confrontation before them. Tremors growing more vigorous, whole pillars started crashing down at the sides as I give chase to the blue blood. Though my speed beyond that of any human, the distance between us seems to grow ever larger by the seconds.

"Crash!"

With a wave of his arm, Aleister commands the earth to do his bidding, sending whole rocks flying towards me like a maestro commanding an orchestra. There is a certain precision and grace to his movements, even as injured as he is. Being a magus with an affinity for the earth, the whole school has become his weapon, and he was in no short of ammo. Crashing through the halls, sweat flows down the side of my face as the pain throbs, sending weakness to hinder my movements.

Distracted for a second, a familiar blue light engulfs the area of the hall way I'm in, followed by the piercing snap.

"Not this time." A crude response, as I bring my hands up at where the light shines the brightest.

"_Odolf Arnap Ormf!" _

A variation of a prana drain spell. From the overflowing feel of prana every time one of those bombs go off, I figure prana is used as a raw ingredient for the blast itself. That means with no prana for the spell to consume, the explosion becomes almost non-existent. In the far end of the hall, slumped at one side of the wall, Aleister scorns me with his look of shock and despair, muttering words barely audible at my end. With a scoff, he breaks off into a run once more, and the chase continues.

That's not I have the upper hand right now. Huge debris, metal spikes piercing out of the stone, fly at me from all sides. Though I'm able to block some of them, a few managed to land at their target, bringing with them the tearing of skin and flesh, the scraping of bones. What feels like a cold night from the downpour outside is immediately dismissed by the fire bursting out like a dragon, spewing heat and pain in my wounds.

"Haugh! Cough! Gugh!" It's not looking good. My magecraft, even those for offense, are more inclined for mid-range combat. As long as I'm this far away from Aleister, I'm just a sitting duck. On the contrary, the blue blood's style of magecraft is no doubt made for long range, bombardment of whole areas. My steps stumble back for a second as I deal with the pain threatening to eat at my mind, the sight of Aleister barely visible only seeks to drive my steps further.

Every few steps brings me to another of the blue blood's spell, bombs hidden away from plain sight. They only activate when I'm near, no doubt rigged to my prana signature. With the same words and a wave of my arm, the prana is drained, converted and absorbed into my circuits. Though rendered useless, I can't help but wonder just how Aleister planted these, in a place as crowded as a school no less.

"Hah... Hah.. You stubborn runt!" His comments flies out in between his panting breaths. I imagine sprinting for more than thirty minutes has left him exhausted. Unfortunately for him, Homunculus don't tire that easily, not me anyways.

"Enough of your scrambling, blue blood! I'm ending you right here!" Roaring from his back, I pounce at him while raising my arms, charging them with prana once more when suddenly, the detested sensation returns, now worse than before.

_Throb. Badump._

"Hragh! Augh!" Convulsion wrecks my body with pain and weakness as my prana is being forced out of my systems. Losing balance, I crash on the broken floor with arms desperately scratching on my own body as Aleister zips away from my reach, before turning around with a confused look on his face. Yet, his eyes holds the light of seriousness as they dart from one corner to another. He has already recovered, and is already looking for a chance to exploit this predicament.

My movements locked, all I can do is watch as Aleister approaches me slowly, one step after another. A devious and confident grin of victory on his face, he summons five rocks from the all around us with just a flick of his fingers and the glow of his magic circuits. Hanging above me, they would crush down on my ruined body and grind on my flesh and bone. Still, he comes closer and closer, the seconds feeling like an eternity.

Am I gonna die here and now?

Needless thoughts fills my mind as death slowly encroaches towards me. It seems a battle between magus can never be simple, circumstance and instances make sure nothing can be certain, both victory or defeat. This face-off has certainly proved that point. Amidst Aleister's loud footsteps, a crashing sound grows louder and louder. The earth where my body lays down on trembles more and more, growing more violent with each pulse. A second later, Aleister stand before me, ready to deal the deathblow.

That is, until a feeling strike the two of us. We twist our eyes at all sides, before suddenly pushing ourselves away, the act itself completely random and uncalled for.

"Crack! Clash!"

Rock splinters and glass shatters, the very wall at the sides blown apart from pure strength alone. Berserker and Lancer, their arms locked in combat, twists and turn, crushing and destroying everything around them. The monstrous swing of Berserker's arm obliterates all else in its path, tearing through stone and metal like a hot knife through butter. Within seconds, the two Servants carves a gigantic crater through where we just stood, breaking everything else.

"Uuurrraaarrrggghhh!"

As my Servant's piercing roar resonates through my body, Lancer pushes Berserker's arms away, before throwing my Servant a bone-crunching punch, snapping at his skull and neck. Pulling his ornate axe from the strap on his back, he drives it downwards, aiming for Berserker's side, probably to sever the joint between his neck and shoulders. Suddenly, armor shatters as Berserker's monstrous gauntlets flails wildly, smashing away as the hand that reached for the weapon.

As opposed to my Servant's wild, unrefined movements, each one of them flooding with overwhelming strength and speed, Aleister's Lancer fight with precision and grace, able to counter and push away most of Berserker's attacks while never lacking in their power. As I watch, I am able to clear away the uncertainty I had in my mind. There is no doubt this being of legend is the pinnacle of the combat expression, his skill and prowess close to the range of gods.

And yet, that is not nearly enough to stop my Servant.

"Crack!" A massive, ear-splitting sound strike me as Lancer's arm is rendered useless. Every moment Lancer tries to free himself from being locked in that melee, my Servant just lunges back at him with feral, unimaginable speed. A second later, their struggle send them crashing against another wall as well as the ceiling, before they disappeared as quickly as they appeared, a trail of destruction in their wake.

"Cough! Damn it." With a strained look on his face, Aleister throws out a grunt as he stares on through the massive hole in the wall where our Servants crashed through. just as I turn to him again. Calming my violent convulsions, I take this chance to regain control of my body, to be able to move again. Aleister twists his head at me, his eyes now wavering, confidence and assurance slowly replaced by panic and despair.

He really is as good as they say. He has already realize that this battle, this confrontation, will not go well for him should it veer towards attrition.

With frantic steps, he breaks off in a dash once more, his trench coat flying behind him. I can only start moving however quickly I can so as to not lose sight of him.

_Throb._

"Hah.. Hah.." A stinging jolt sends itself up my spine with every step, my arms and legs sluggish as I maneuver through the shadowy hall, from corridor to corridor. Bullets of sweat falling, it wasn't easy keeping Aleister in sight. The kicking of the stone floor rattles through what silence had filled the night, only to be disturbed by the slight tremor of battle from the Servants, which feels as thought they're far away, as well as the low, monstrous hum of Berserker's roar.

Damn it, he sure runs fast for someone who's skin and flesh are rotting by the second. That curse should be coming to its final tick now. Even now, whenever Aleister turn back to check on my hindered pace, I see defiance in his eyes, and a seriousness unlike before. He still hasn't give up yet.

Windows after window, lockers by the rows, a good many doors dodges from my sight. A zip around the corner, and I find myself stopping at a door. One Aleister just disappeared into. I can't detect any Prana signature. No time to waste, I'm going in.

With haste, my fingers wrap around the doorknob as I give it a gentle twist. As the door creaks open, a familiar humming sound fills my ears, and the same eerie blue light comes into view...

"_Odolf Arnap Ormf!"_

It feels like a reflex, as my arms comes up on their own, and the words flows out of my mouth as soon as the thought formed in my mind. It should work as before, _Tamura _will bring my desire into life, using my words as the hold to force them into the physical realm, in this case, to shrink the volume of Prana, to cease its very existence, and to rid it of its form. Aleister's spell will be rendered utterly useless. Then I will find Aleister trapped within that one classroom, and our clash will finally end with the loss of his life. I know I won't be mourning for a second time.

…

What? I feel no change from my spell, and the light remain just as bright, right before my eyes. In fact, it only gets brighter as my steps draw me closer, as if hypnotized by the flare, like moths to a flame. The humming cracks as I get close, the intervals growing longer and longer, before finally going silent. Though exposed to the spell for no more than a few seconds, the signs points to something strange, different. I just don't understand it.

That is when I see a wild spark flickering, leaping forth from the spell. And that only means one thing, considering magecraft does not require electricity as an energy source.

"Oh no." As the words escapes my mouth, my legs are already moving, inching towards a direction commanded by a feeling inside me, a feeling I didn't know I have. Instincts. Flashing my vision across the classroom, I find myself surrounded by dozens of the same 'bomb', all ticking down to their allotted time. I'm not feeling fear, nor terror, at this blunder. Right now, the only feeling I have is the overwhelming command inside my mind, to get the hell out of this room as quickly as possible.

Turning around to the window at the side, my steps break into a sprint, or a leap, I can't really tell. Next moment, a humongous, pulsing force pushes against my back, propelling me forward with my feet clean off the ground, heat searing the skin on on my back. With little choice, I bring my arms up to shield my face and prime my body into a stance in mid air, moving my aching muscles as much as I can.

Forcing my eyes open, I await the incoming crash through the only way out I see.

* * *

><p>Apparently, my eyes betrayed me, as my vision is replaced with darkness. In the shadow the crash takes place, sending stone, metal and glass pounding against the whole of my body. It feels like somebody had their hands around my being and slammed me against the wall like a doll. I have the feeling reality isn't that far off from that mental image. The gush of rain forces my eyes open, with a field of grass and a blanket of trees coming into sight.<p>

I must have smashed through the window. The window from the third floor, that is. My vision of my surroundings tumbling and spinning as I fall, I try to scream only to find my focus sharpened by the constant surge of adrenaline, so much that my energy goes to my head, churning out thoughts on how to land, where I should hide, and how can I get back to Aleister.

Still, a rage brews within me. Damn that Aleister! Damn him to hell! No time, I need to discover where I'm at right now, and more urgently, ensure that I survive this fall!

Too late!

"Crack! Thud!" The soft blades of grass do little to soften the impact, instead only driving themselves into my open skin like tiny needles breaking into my flesh. Mud and soil splashes against my body as the rain drenches everything else. Whatever focus I have scatters as soon as the impact strikes my head. Vibrations and resonance splits my mind, and everything goes black.

Strangely enough, I feel myself moving even before my eyes opened. Arms stretch out, grabbing huge of mud and grass in an attempt to get a hold of the ground, before pulling my body forward. Dark, shadowy grass comes into sight as soon as my vision returns. The rain pours down at me as if insulting me of my failure, never relenting, as it has been for the past few hours. Every time I think back on what happened, my body trembles with anger, frustration.

Everything else beside my mind, however, is focused on the person before me, a good few meters away. Aleister paces his way towards me, his footsteps distorted by the sound of the storm, the rain. Amidst the pain present on his face is the same glint of confidence, the annoying look of self-satisfaction in the light of his eyes. Behind him, in the distance away, amidst the blurry landscape, the school where I last stepped roars ablaze with azure flames. The blue hue shoots out for a second before it is devoured by an orange flare. The whole school is set ablaze in the manner of seconds. Just how far was I blown away?

"Well, you're certainly more than I bargained for. Underestimation of my enemies would be the death of me someday." Stopping before me, the blue blood still has his witty tongue, despite the pained look on his face. His body slightly trembling behind that long, black coat, I watch as his right hand slip itself out of his pocket, covered with the same, blue light streaking around the surface of his skin. "But not today." With a single mutter under his breath, my eyes turn to see gray rocks and boulders already hovering above me.

Their jagged edges provide me little comfort for what's to come.

"Aaauuurrrggghhh!"

The howl of the beast sounds like the bells of the chapel, signaling salvation. From behind Aleister, Berserker leaps in front of me with an unbridled fury more intense than before. His knuckles cracks with mere flicks of his fingers, Berserker lunges at Aleister before he even reacted to my Servant's appearance, his arm flying out, his gauntlet thrown in a wide arc before him. If left to its course, it would break every bone in the blue blood's body as soon as it hits.

If it hits.

There is no sound, even as Lancer appears out of thin air, with a speed even quicker than my Berserker. Standing as a wall in front of his Master, just like Berserker, Lancer blocks my Servant's attack with one gauntlet raised. When the impact occurs, a pulsing wave of pure power shoots out from the two Heroic Spirits, even pushing away the rain hurling down from above. I can't help but shiver at the sight. Lancer's strength is on equal terms with Berserker.

"Tsk, no doubt you're too big a threat to ignore." The words coming out of Aleister feels as though they are meant for Berserker, though his eyes glares at me at every moment, even as he dodges behind the nordic armor of his Lancer. Seriousness has entered his tone of voice. What is he going to do next?

Then, for a few seconds out there in the field, there is no sound. No pained breathing or my Berserker's feral growls, even as the rain keeps falling and the school burns in the background. The anticipation of what's going to happen next is painfully distinct. The air around us just gets harshly cold, the temperature dropping as though warmth is ripped from our surroundings. Prana is being drained in preparation for something.

"Lancer use _it_,and finish this. Use your _Noble Phantasm_." Aleister's command pierces through everything else, his words like a sword, cutting through whatever composure I have left.

"Yes, my Master." As obedient as ever, the armor clad warrior with flowing gray manes, replies as his eyes fills with certainty. With a flick of his gauntlets, reality comes crashing back, as Berserker is thrown off balance, stumbling back from the sudden display of strength. It feels very much like the chains around Lancer has been released.

"No!" My scream runs out of my coarse throat, desperation obvious in the tone of my voice. My body can feel the weakness all over, slowing down my movement to a snail's crawl. In my sight, Lancer draws a small grin of malice on his face as he draws out his ornate spear, beautifully carved and emblazoned with runic symbols all over. Aleister has his hands around whatever that's left of my shirt, and pulls me close. The grin vanishes, and with a slow blink of his eyes, his pupils morph into a faint, purple light, square and abnormal.

No! Mystic Eyes? Impossible!

In an instant, my muscles cried out with great pain and my blood boils, curdling in my vein. Soft flesh and skin, no matter real or artifcial, hardens within seconds, before their weight begin pulling me down. I glance down to see my limbs now turned gray, the feeling within them all but gone. I run prana from my cicuits to counteract this influence, to resist and reject, but the twisting of my throat and the churning within my stomach tells me it's futile.

When my shoulders turns to stone, the hold is released, and the weight of my now immobile body pulls me down to the ground, smashing against the soft earth. Within my sight turned sideways, Aleister crouches in pain, his fingers reaching for his temples. I can feel nothing from my body now. Even my throat refuses to scream no matter how much I want to. In horror, I can do little but watch Lancer consumes the very air around him, and mutter the very words.

"_Gungnir."_

* * *

><p><strong>Phew, this one's a doozy. It certainly has been a while since I last update, heck, it's been a while since I started writing this chapter! All that research into writing this fight between Magi, a battle of concepts and circumstance. Was it an enjoying read? Tell it to me in your reviews, I would really love to know your thoughts. Wit this chapter comes the revelation of Lancer's Noble Phantasm, as well as his identity. Will this fight end with Berserker's fall? Or will Ira von Einzbern lose his life this very night? Keep your eyes out for the next update to find out.<strong>


	11. Chapter 10: Aftermath  Burning Downpour

**Author's Note:**

**Wow, lately I've been getting all sorts of ideas, but whenever I start writing they just disappears. We're ten chapters in and it's just been day one of the Holy Grail War. I hope I can get this idea of having two protagonists right. Now that I think about it, I wonder which will come out better, Ira or Akemi?**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10: Aftermath – Burning Downpour.<strong>

"Impossible, he's just not human!"

The piercing sentence ripped itself through the darkness before me. The words are no stranger to me, for I have heard them many times before. No matter how much I blink my eyes, no light comes to exorcise the shadows twisting and turning before me. I wave my hand only to feel nothing. No object, no heat or cold, not even the very wind going against my touch. Everything feels so strange, nothing is making sense. Alarmed, my body jerked to bring myself up to my feet, only to be bogged down by immense aching and the feeling of being drained.

No thought comes into mind, the exhaustion has that function of my mind locked away. I just feel myself staring at the darkness, looking to pierce through the veil, and catch sight of what's beyond. That is, until I hear a clanking sound, as if someone brought a hammer to an anvil. An ominous orange light flickers on, shining through this tiny opening on the wall high above. In symphony the sound chimes, and the light only gets brighter.

Huh?

Right at the end of the room shines a ring of white light, illuminating only that corner. Pale skin and snow white hair, the figure just lies there against the wall, unmoving. It feels familiar. Pushing aside all the pain, the aching, I drag my feet one in front of the other. Before I know it, I'm staring down at it, a strange feeling of pity and sympathy drawing out of my heart because of the sight.

"Ugh... It's horrible."

The figure lies with its back to the walls, naked and soiled. There are wounds on every inch of its body, and I can sense no life pulsing through its veins. It is a dead, mutilated corpse. Dried blood covers and blemishes its pale skin. Its face, carrying a pair of crimson eyes, stares into space even after death, with a painful light. They look... so familiar. I think I've seen them before. Curiosity coming over me, I can't help but bend down to have a closer look. For some reason, I don't mind touching the body at all.

"Crack."

"Augh." My joints, my very bones creak and cracks as I move. Long, white hair that glistens in the light, yet they do not hold enough significance to capture all of your attention. Cold skin as pure as snow, hidden behind the layers of blood and mud. My fingers feels the chill as they gently press against the body, holding it up for a closer look.

… I see...

Her silky long hair, tinted silver that stretches out all around her, looks the same as my hair. My skin is just as pale as hers, they bear the same tone even as I hold her hands to mine, under that circle of light. Her eyes shine the color of blood, and though they stare out in a daze, they look exactly like my pair of eyes whenever I look into a mirror. The resemblance is uncanny, almost freakishly so. The only difference is that my body is that of male, while the body dead in front of me is that of a female's.

"Squish." A wet sound booms out into the silence of the confined space. A dark, muddy liquid starts seeping from where the deceased lady lie.

Suddenly, I feel a grip on my ankle. Cold, bony fingers dig into my flesh, my bone. Despite all the strength I'm capable of, the fatigue in my body lingers, and I can't even budge.

"Come back to us." A lucid, broken voice speaks the words, ringing into my mind. Who is it? I turn from side to side, eyes darting all over the place to hone in on the source, only to find nothing beyond the darkness. In a blink of my eyes, however, the room becomes filled with dozens of bodies, doppelgangers of the deceased lady by my feet. However, the body is no longer dead at my feet.

"You cannot escape! You will not resist!" Dragging it self forward with its arms, the lady moves as if her legs are broken. Only when I see her jaw creaking open and close do I realize it is her who's been speaking. I try to scream, to yell, only to have my attention seized by the dozen arms now cuffed around me, from my neck to my knees. Every one of the bodies I see before now creeps around me, their bodies broken. Their limbs bend into unbelievable position just to pin me down at where I stand.

"Let go of me!" In defiance, I yell, but that is all I can do. From their eyes cries rivers of mud and ooze, whole slobs of the horrendous substance pours out of their moves as they open. By now, it's already up to my knees. Staring into the swirling substance, there's this feeling of endlessness, as if I'm getting swallowed by the void.

Wait... I am getting swallowed! I can feel myself sinking!

"You will meet your destiny! It is what you are coined for!" In a broken cacophony of voices, now twisted into shrieks and cries, the bodies scream into my ears from all around me. Mud gushing forth faster than ever.

"No!" As their fingers grip down on my skull, partially covering my sight, their weight crushes down on me, pushing me further into the oozing substance. An insane cold breaks my touch, seeping into my bones. I think my body is all but devoured. Staring into the white light with my one, open eye, I can't help but feel afraid, confused and despair. What can I do? I don't even know what I'm supposed to do. I have no desire of my own. I have no future to look forward to. I am lost.

Perhaps I should just accept this, and go with the flow...

"Not this one..."

"He is incompatible..."

"He is denied..."

"Not one of us!"

"Hah!" Out of the black pile of mud, I find my head forced out, gasping for air. The many banshees at my side now chants a different tone, hostile compared to before. Their fingers dig down into my flesh harder now, so hard that my skin is torn and I've begin to bleed. My whole body burns as the black mud comes into contact with my skin every second. I don't understand, what's happening? The black ocean around me, so calm and accepting before, now churns and crashes with a violent beat.

It's as if it's rejecting me, denying my very being.

"Why are you even here, Ira?"

A high pitched voice, that of a child, now speaks above the rest. In my struggle, my eyes catch sight of a little girl standing beside me, staring down at me through crimson eyes that bear demonic light. White long hair fall to her waist, and she stands with pure white skin, just like the dozen banshees behind her. But, shadows envelops the rest of her body, their tendril waving, slithering out of her chest, where her heart should have been. Unlike the others, she just keep staring at me, motionless from where she stands.

"Gah!" A sharp jolt of pain comes as an open hand tears off my ear. Another bout of shock comes when I feel my knee ripped off of my body, the joint snapping off cleanly. Then, the pain just explodes in rapid succession. So this is what it feels like when my body's being torn apart... Before I know it, my vision gives out as immense pain tear at whatever that's left of my body.

* * *

><p>"Aaaahhh!"<p>

I awake to the sound of my own voice screaming and the falling of raindrops, my feet now pressed against the cold grass as before. My fingers are still there, bits and pieces of gray stone falling off of my hands as I move them. A familiar ache ravages my body as I put motion into my muscles once more. Looking around, I catch sight of the orange hue lighting up the night, burning in the distance. The school is still burning, the roaring flames unfazed by the pouring rain that has been going on throughout this particular night.

"Kuh... that dream again..." When all of the petrification leaves my body, I find myself falling to my knees, pressing my hands at the cooling soil. The blades of grass tickles me as they scratch at my palm.

I'm feeling... pain.

"I'm... still alive?" Muttering the words, I try my best to hone in and detect whatever prana signature I can find, particularly that of the blue blood's. In my mind, the field expands, taking into account my surroundings, the open field I'm in and even stretching out to the burning school.

"Nothing..." The words comes out of my mouth with a strained tone. Unconsciously, I find myself clenching down on my fists as I'm struck by this revelation. "He's gone..." With another breath, my anger and frustration only boils.

Why am I so angry? So annoyed? Shouldn't I be happy or at least relieved that I'm still alive?

In the field I stand, tired and disoriented, with a gnawing anger within me. The night sky is filled with countless dark clouds, swallowing up the light of the moon. From the heavens above, rain pours as if crying at my defeat. The smell of soot and ash is mixed with that of the raindrops falling. Heat lingers from the burning school while the cold wind howls. And before my eyes, my Servant stands, unmoving.

… That's right... I remember what happened... I saw all of it...

Berserker's body is left ravaged, broken.

* * *

><p><em>Gungnir<em> is the name of the _Noble Phantasm _invoked.

The runes on the weapon glows and charges with power. The spear itself seems to jump to life, the very air around the holy spear grew restless. My eyes fall on the enemy Servant in the distance, catching sight the best I can as the rest of my body freeze over, turning cold and lifeless. Nordic armor adorned all over him, finely decorated with horns and fang. The viking helm atop of his head resembles more of a crown than anything else. Fine robes inscribed with runes all over masks his body behind his armor plates. And among his features, the white hair, beard and of course, the runic eye...

How could I have been so oblivious to the clues before me?

Unbelievable, Odin, the All-father of the Aesir, is in this war! He brandishes his spear before my Servant with skills befitting that of a god, backed by centuries of experience! That explains why he can keep up with my Berserker, when technically no other Legendary Soul can!

"Nnnyyyaaaggghhh!"

Oblivious to what is happening, my Servant responds with the same piercing howl. As Lancer primes his weapon, taking a stance and pulling the holy spear back, Berserker pounces with sheer ferocity. With great force, my Servant's long arm comes crushing down, clad in metal and armor. Massive strength coupled with inhuman speed, even by the standards of Legendary Souls, cracks the air and splits the earth with the backlash of his attack alone.

But, can my Servant's legend match that of a god?

"Crack!"

One step forward and Lancer shatters the ground at his feet. Rocks and stone defies gravity as the mere presence of Odin pulls them up from the ground. In the split second when my Servant's attack is about to hit, I watch as Lancer thrusts his spear into the ground by his feet. My eyes wince at what happens next, my vision flickers as if my mind refuses accept what is happening. Donned in shadow veil, the runes of Gungnir is all I can see, glowing azure blue as the spear twists and contorts like a serpent pouncing at its prey.

The pointed head of Gungnir roars as it bends upwards, now piercing towards the arm of my Servant.

"Clank! Sletch!"

"Splash!"

The bladed Noble Phantasm chews through armor and flesh with ease, and the blood of Berserker squirts onto the soil and grass. The clean green grass at our feet is instantly stained with blackened blood.

"Uuurrraaauuuggghhh!" Berserker's voice saturates into the sound of the rain, sounding more like a cry than one of feral anger. In a blink of my eye, the spear has now gone through Berserker's palm, penetrating its way through flesh and bone. Blood trickles down from the wound as my Servant struggles to pull himself free. With a pulse of force, a glow of light envelops Odin as he rips out his weapon with one hand. The air howls as the long spear is pushed to his back with great dexterity, blood splattering out as the weapon flies back to him.

H-how is that attack possible? One second the weapon is flying towards the ground, looking to stab into the soil, the next it's already lodged into my Servant's hand! The light... Don't tell me it bent in its flight!

His glare stone cold, Odin moves like a mirage, leaving afterimages behind him as he lunges, spearing to the side.

It's as if he's missing his attack on purpose, jabbing into the open air!

Then, the same low hum boom out as the Noble Phantasm rumbles with fervor, swallowing whole piles of prana as the air begin crushing down on my back. Azure blue blinds me as the holy spear jumps to life yet again, shooting and bending in a zigzag pattern in crude, savage turns. In shadow, the dreadful weapon seeks and hones in on my Servant like a predator on the hunt.

"Klauch!"

Blood and rain falls in tandem as the red liquid burst from the wound. I open my eyes to see Berserker's neck torn and ravaged by the spear, which now cuts into my Servant's throat. After that, my Berserker roars no more.

No way!

Silenced and petrified, there is no way to vent the frustration of my mind. The questions pounding through my mind screams, demanding answers!

It defies the concept of causality! The target is to be pierced, and the Noble Phantasm bends fate to its will, forcing it into reality! Is this the power of Noble Phantasms? I can't believe this... And the most ridiculous notion is that Odin only expelled a small pint of prana to wake his weapon, that second strike costs absolutely nothing!

But, Odin's wrath continues.

Within a second, Gungnir pulses with power and hunger once more. When my Servant's crippled arm reach out for Lancer, he just takes a step back before the spear is pointed upwards into the air. The same thing happens. It twists and contorts in a flare of blue light, and plunges into Berserker's right arm, severing its joint. This act repeats itself for six more times, each attack as erratic as before. So fast my eyes can barely keep up.

The serpent bathed in light pierces through my Servant's chest.

A streak of azure bores through Berserker's groin.

The weapon leaps at my Servant's shoulder-plates, cleaving itself through skin and flesh, before shattering the bones.

No mercy is left for my Servant's right arm, the spear tearing off the muscles in rapid succession. Blood splatters on the ground where Berserker stands, dyeing the floor completely red.

With a single thrust to the sides, Gungnir chews through the pale and stony skin, ripping Berserker's stomach open. Entrails and organs droop out, slobbering onto the soil and grass.

And finally, the holy spear lunges at my Servant's beating heart, piercing it as it is still beating before finally tearing it right out of Berserker's chest.

Tossed to the sides, the heart still holds a faint heartbeat as it burns with fire from the runes emblazoned all over Gungnir. The sight comes clear to me, despite the rain smothering my vision. Even so, Lancer's runic eye grows even more intimidating. Odin throws down his gaze with a twisted smile on his face, almost as if he is getting excited from what he's doing. His glare is that of a demon's. So shaken by the sight of Lancer, I didn't catch Aleister making his way to the front.

"Good job, Lancer." With his face covered by shadows, the blue blood, to my bewilderment, gives his Servant the order to cease. The dangling horns, fangs and ornament ringing, Odin's eyes flare up in an instant, mad with rage and disbelief, before the light of sanity returns. Taking a glance at what he had wrought, the humming stops and the azure light begins to fade.

"... Of course, Master. I... Apologize." As his weapon fades out of the physical realm, Lancer's fury all but vanished as he makes his way back to his Master's side.

Next thing I know, Aleister burst into my sights, staring down at my frozen, helpless face.

"Hey, not to say you're bad, You did pretty good." His deep, brown eyes softens before mine, as a playful smile stretches across his face. It's as if the fight for our lives hours before never even happened. As he leaves the field, not drenched with rain and blood, Aleister throws out his final words together with a casual wave of his hand...

"You're the last of your line. Don't waste your life away, Ira."

* * *

><p>"Ah... Hah.. Hah... Gah.. Hah.."<p>

_Ba-dump._

Is it over? Just like that?

_Ba-dump._

Seating down on the cold ground tainted with Berserker's blood, I find myself at a bit of a loss. Disorientation prevents me from moving. Every time I think, my mind draws only a blank slate. Amidst the night and clouds, my eyes only stares into the glow of the burning school in the far distance as convulsions wrecks whatever is left of my body. The sound of my own heavy breaths and feverish sobs breaks into the silence of the open fields.

Am I afraid? Is this what they call fear? My first fight with my life on the line... And I nearly threw it away out of my own pride...

Moving away from the orange lights flickering, my eyes lands on my Servant at my side. With his body broken, he stands in silence, still as a statue. I just can't get the images of what happened tonight out of my head no matter how hard I try. Every time I do, they just flash across my mind with greater clarity than before. The face of that blue blood keeps popping up...

"Aaaarrrrgggghhhh!"

As the rain comes to a stop, I find myself screaming into the shadow of the night.

"Eeeeyyyyaaauuuurrrrgggghhhh!"

Dammit! Dammit! Dammit all! How is this fair? My heart aches as the feeling pushes its way into my body, crushing down on my insides. I went through the pain, the suffering! I spent nights locking myself away with my tomes! I even decided to speak the lines, to command the chains of the beast... I spit on the legend that is my Servant just so I can have an edge in this war! As the frustration churns, I throw my arms to the sides as I fall to my knees, slamming them down on the cool, wet grass.

"Dammit! My first night into the war and Odin hunts me down?" My hands smashes the ground with no relent, not even as my bones started cracking, the sound throbbing in my mind. Still, the trembling don't stop.

The fact that I'm alive did little to hide the shame, the helplessness I find pulsing and pouring out of me. I feel so vulnerable, even the cold wind blow against my skin. It's as if I never left the Einzbern castle...

"Hah.. hah.. I'm pathetic... hah..So much that the Blue Blood don't even bother finishing me off..." In between my distorted breaths and heavy panting, my fists strike the ground one last time as my skin tear at my knuckles. A single tear flow down my cheeks. This outburst of emotions is... troubling.. And yet, I can't help feel... driven. My heart dances as it pumps the artificial blood in my veins. Suddenly, the command seal snaking down my neck starts to heat up, and from the strokes comes a crimson light.

"Chik. Chik. Chik. Chik."

"Fear for your life is not a sin. There is no wrong with the preservation of life, particularly your own. It only shows that you possess humanity within you, despite not being a human yourself..." The sullen voice takes precedence over everything else, kindness masked by its cold, blunt tone.

She's here...

Turning around, a figure clad in olden robes meets my eyes. Numerous holy symbols is adorned over the cloth, as the mysterious figure approaches me with a hood over her head. The dangling of holy artifacts she brings with her chimes in tandem with her footsteps, the sound of metal pacing through the grass. From the edges of her hood, I can see her golden blond hair flowing with the wind, her face hidden by shadows.

"Ira von Einzbern." Immediately, the figure's voice grows colder with her words. No doubt she's just here to do her job. "I regrettably inform you that you are no-"

"longer in this war?" Her appearance calmed me down. The urge to correct her miscalculation grew too strong. "Whatever are you talking about?" I boldly state my claim, seeking to preserve my role as Master as I walk in front of her, looking to the distance. The sound of siren howling slowly escalates in volume. Before long, the sight of red firetrucks and black police cars seeps into existence, their lights rushing in from the far roads.

"The corpse of your Servant lay torn and mutilated. The flames of life, no matter how different, no longer beats in his heart. He will vanish soon enough..." Taking on a morbid tone, the holy figure speaks as if she is grieving for her own child.

If it was any other Servant, I would have probably agreed with her. But...

"Nonsense. Time to wake, Berserker." Not my Berserker. Stopping at my Servant's side, I gladly defy whatever verdict she is planning to give me.

The ground shudders at my call. Tremors seems to pulsate out from where my lithe, towering Servant stands. Within seconds, the figure watches as the gauntlets begin to twitch, before clenching into a fists. Veins throbs and rises on the surface of Berserker's skin. His muscles bulge as life makes its way back into his body. With a giant step, the beast shakes his head like an animal just waking up from a nap, crouching down as he rapidly recovers from his trauma and disorientation. Before long, Berserker takes another step forward, shoving his entrails and organs back into his body, his wounds slowly closing.

"Ggggrrraaaggghhhh!" His piercing roar shattering into the sky, my Servant walks again.

"Impressive. It seems my visit is uncalled for." The figure clad in holy attire bows in respect after realizing her error. Really, they couldn't have asked for a better judge for this war. With a turn, she disappears into the shadows as quickly as she arrived, her heavy steps clicking behind her. The police is already on the move, scattering to surround the burning school while their attack hounds prances into the open field. According to my will, Berserker slips into his spirit form. The transition easier because of his desire to heal.

Taking one last look at where Legendary Souls clashed tonight, I mutter out a promise to myself, before breaking to a sprint.

"Tonight is only the beginning... but... I will have that Grail.."

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><p><strong>The end of a very long night and the first real battle in the war! Each Servant is rightfully strong on their own, but can any of them stand up against Odin, the All-father? And how did Berserker survive after that horrendous defeat? Well, you'll have to wait for my updates to find out! What do you guys think about this chapter, and Ira's performance? Tell it all to me in your reviews, I really wanna know! Till next we meet!<strong>


	12. Chapter 11: Disruption

**Author's Note:**

**Time trudges on slowly, but the days seems to just fly by. It's certainly been a while since the last chapter update for /Fate – Dream Coma, but the clocks shifts as we move on to the next day, let's us see the story through and move forward, shall we?**

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><p><strong>Chapter 11: Disruption.<strong>

I'm awakened by the loud chirping of birds and insect humming from the trees outside. As my eyelids slip open, I come upon a blurry sight of my bedroom ceiling. The day definitely feels more different than any others before, slower perhaps. As my mind shrugs off the morning daze, my body twists and turns in bed, pushing away the thoughts of waking up. Slowly, the stuff begin catching up in my mind, information popping into clarity here and there...

"Was it all a dream?" The words slip out as my right elbow lands on my forehead, pressing it down with its added weight. War, blood, death and even wishes. It's all so unbelievable. At the thought, my finger fidgets the weighted object resting in the palm of my hand.

"Clack."

"Shuu...!"

"Wha! Eyah!" A flash of light shoots forth reaching for the ceilings, spreading out in an instant as various information flashes before my eyes. Words swirl from one end to another and a few images starts popping out. Faces of people and items. Every inch of my being tenses at the explosion of light, and the sheer shock knocks me up of my bed. Panicking, I throw my arms in front of me in an effort to clear away the flickering lights. The very action only sends the whole light-show zooming from every corner of my room.

"Uh... Huh.." I calm down the very moment I lay eyes on the object projecting the lights, the little gizmo Masaru gave to me the other night. I look around to see a pen and a journal lying around me in my bed.

I...I guess I fell asleep while trying to write down all the information from the tech. And that means it's... all real.

My fingers only tighten around the cold shell of the object. I can somewhat feel my face going sullen by the second. Not good. I can't afford to go all depressed at the start of the day! Giving myself a soft slap on the cheeks, I hope to put a smile on my face as my eye turn to the projection once more. Apparently, a slew of new info has presented itself, flickering in my face a whole new catergory with my picture in it.

"Masters...?" As my fingers push and nudges on the hologram itself, diving into the pictures, the glare of the morning sun seems to sizzle into my bedroom. How long has it been since I got up? Reality seeps back into my mind as I hop right out of bed...

"Well, time for school!"

* * *

><p>"Numerous incidents have occured within the park these last few weeks, and several victims have turned up. Sources say that majority of these attacks have occured after dark, so we highly advise all viewers to stay behind doors should evening come..."<p>

Today I suddenly have the urge to break the serene silence of the morning with that wondrous little box called the television. As I prepare breakfast, the reporter's voice churns out her words in the same monotone as always. Although... what I'm hearing does little to cheer me up. My fingers grip around the handle to the fridge as I can't help but hear the same words repeating in my mind. Murder they say, happening right in this City! The bodies are left mutilated, strewn all over...

It sure has gotten real dangerous lately...

"Guh... It's cold.." The wave of chill pummels onto me as I open the door to fridge, breaking my chain of thoughts. But, what I had hoped to see, that which is the various compartments filled with a nice selection of food to choose from, is replaced by the sight of unblemished white. Save for that apple pushed in the corner, my fridge is utterly empty!

"No! I completely forgot to stock up! I didn't buy groceries for this month!"

"Uwah... This is the last one..." I can't help but say so as I bite down into the big apple, taking my seat at the usual western-styled dining table. I guess having some fruit for breakfast isn't that bad... The last food I have within my humble abode... I can't help but feel a tear welling up in my eyes.

"Are you sure an apple is sufficient?"

A voice other than my own speaks out, its tone low and strong. Yet, it's a familiar voice. Suddenly images starts flashing in my mind. A battle-built body behind a suit of leather and armor. Gray eyes with long, silver hair. That magnificent blade singing its song as it was drawn. With a blink of my eyes, the figure comes into view. He sits by the side of the dining table, clad in the same golden armor.

"W-Whoa! S-Saber!" To say it's a surprise would be an understatement! Just a few seconds ago that seat was clearly empty! Next thing I know, my arms fly to the sides while a ball of red zips past my eyes and up into the air... "Gah, the apple!" Apparently, my body moves just a tad bit quicker than my thoughts, kicking my chair back as I jump to my feet. I can feel the many bruises forming as my body strikes the hard, wooden table.

In the end, I manage to get ahold of it before the apple touched the ground.

"O-Of course, I don't usually eat much so a whole apple is actually quite enough..." Eyes still on the reddish skin of the fruit, my answer blurts out as Saber's question repeats itself in mind. "Sure it's not that filling, but it'll help hold out till lunch- eh?" Taking my seat back at the table, I turn back to the side to see the seat empty again.

He's gone! And the chair's back where it used to be, tucked neatly at the side of the table!

"In other news, disaster struck the secluded school of Amity High."

That one line of words catches my attention, my eyes widening as I turn slowly back to the television screen, almost instantly forgetting everything else.

"Apparently, there were multiple equipment failures last night. That coupled with the fact that the underground gas tanks beneath the school suffered from a rupture started the chain reaction, resulting in an explosion that shook the hills, giving birth to a razing fire that devoured whatever was still standing. Sources say that severe damage had already been done by the time our civil servants arrived."

There, in the flickering screen before me, shows the school I'm so used to seeing every day, in charred ruins. Holes are now riddled across the walls which was still standing just yesterday! The windows are shattered, stone and wooden debris is strewn all over where the reporter stands, as the many policemen sweeps through the area in the background. In another shot, a whole side of the school building has collapsed! Even as I hear the reasons for it, I still have a very hard time picturing the whole thing happening.

I didn't know my school had underground gas tanks... To think this can very well happen while I'm having class...

Wow, suddenly I don't feel so eager to go to school now..

"Clack."

A loud tap on the table prompt my attention, and I turn again to see the same golden clad warrior sitting in that same spot again, now pushing himself forward with his gauntlet on the table. Though the sudden re-appearance surprised me again, his deep, piercing stare is so focused I don't dare to utter even a single word. All I can manage is sit in my seat as a sudden chill runs down my spine. Suddenly, I realize my body's all frozen.

What exactly is he staring at? His eyes are... Scary...

"Students of Amit High please take note, lessons are temporarily suspended until further notice! We implore you all to keep your eyes out for future reports on the situation of your school!"

Well, that takes care of that! Woo, no school for today!

I would have screamed it out in joy if it weren't for Saber still looking so grim. As the morning news comes to close, the reporter signing off, my eyes trail back at him again.

"S-Saber..." His silver hair swaying, Saber's eyes droop down to a close with his eyebrows still furrowed. He looks like someone deep in thoughts. Now it's pretty obvious, there's something bothering him. Something in my mind urges for me to speak, but the thoughts burst as soon as I start moving my lips. Before I know it, the edges of his armor starts splitting into tiny little pieces that seems to disappear into the air.

"... Can you..." First his golden plates glitter in the light of sun as they fade away. Then, his skin starts turning transparent before him and his leather outfit vanishes completely. All while he's still sitting there.

".. Please stop flying in and out like that?"

...

I wonder if he even hears me?

"Sigh... I don't like this..." As I finish off my apple, the television is turned off and the morning goes quiet again. The white light beams through the window as I sit alone at the table dressed in my school uniform, chewing. The last bit is swallowed, and my fingers reach out to the gizmo placed at the side of the table. It roars to life at my touch, and as if trying to get myself distracted, I flip through the pages before finally stopping at Saber's. His image stand valiantly with sword in hand. Unlike just seconds before, the image shows his eyes clear of doubt.

Not much of a change, but in my opinion he looks so much better!

"Well, if he don't wanna talk, then there's nothing I can do about it, I guess..." I speak to myself, convinced as I get up from my seat and out of the kitchen altogether. As I walk, I can't help but find myself shaking my head from side to side, as if trying to push away the gnawing feeling I have in mind. I guess I'm a tiny bit annoyed. With no school today, things slows down quite a bit, as my steps take me back up the stairs at a casual pace.

"Well, first thing's first. Gotta change out of my uniform."

Though I say that, I find myself staring right into the wardrobe as soon as the doors are opened.

Hmm, pink top with a dark skirt? Or maybe a t-shirt and shorts for today? Huh, that yellow dress in the corner looks cute! Oh man, I can't decide!

It took me ten minutes before finally deciding on the dress. A subtle touch of yellow with frills around the edges, one of my favorites! As my steps ring through the house again, it's accompanied by another chime. That of my keys and keychains ringing in my hand. Gotta go get groceries! Now's as good a time as any!

Well, that's the plan, until Saber comes into sight again, leaning against the wall at the side...

"If you're thinking of leaving your home, I would suggest otherwise." That's it. That's all he says as he looks to me with a piercing gaze, his eyes looking as though he's eager to hear my decision. Suddenly, I feel my body tensing again, my muscles going stiff just as I stop at the bottom of the stairs, looking towards the living room and Saber himself. It's his eyes. They always have this effect on them, as if they're forcing seriousness down my throat.

They make me feel... queasy...

"Uh... What makes you say that, Saber?" Finally, after much effort I push out the words, one syllable at a time.

"The enemy can be anywhere, once you're discovered, I can make no guarantee that you'll be coming back here alive..." Saber puts it out as bluntly as ever, but every one of those words are true, that much I know. Still, the shock comes almost immediately. I'm still not used to hearing news like this, saying that I'm gonna die with such certainly. Mild convulsions wreck my body as my knees lock themselves up.

Next thing I know, I fall to the ground with my arms wrapped around my stomach. The uneasy feeling gurgles inside me.

"Uw... but we have nothing left in the house... if I don't go we'll starve ourselves to..." My words are cut off. The one word before that seemed more than a joke is now something that can happen to me anytime. To say I'm not afraid would be a lie. Just as I feel Saber's eyes looking down on me, as if judging me in his mind, a firm grip clamp down from behind me and pulls me up to my feet. I look only to see Saber looking directly at me, his hands reaching out.

Huh?

In surprise I close my eyes, only to have a heavy touch adjusting the fringe of my hair.

"Such a frown is unbecoming of a lady." Saber stops in front of me, bending down so that our eyes meet. Accompanying the same serious eyes is a faint smile that stretches from one cheek to the other. With agile strokes, he smooths out my slightly disheveled hair. His metallic gauntlet is supposed to be cold, but I can still feel the warmth of his caring touch.

Is Saber comforting me? Suddenly, he doesn't look so fierce anymore...

"Eh?" With no warning, my face flares up in an instant as I realize I'm staring, drowning out everything else.

"I made the oath, Master. I apologize for inciting worry. Let us go, I'll protect you no matter what." Saber gives out as sternly as before, but this time flashing towards me a smile I never thought he could. Sadly, it disappears a second later, as his clanking metal boots brings him to the door, his cloak swaying with each step. With a blink, I realize I'm already making my way towards the altar. In the light, Mom and Dad's tablet stands, as if they're looking over me this very moment.

"Mom... Dad... I'm going!" The pressure on my shoulders gradually fading, I give my farewell with a faint smile and a bow. The side of my eyes shows Saber with his eyes closed in solemn prayer.

"Come on..." Saber speaks the few words as I start moving again.

"Yeah!" I only reply him a nod before reaching for the locks with key in hand. As Saber vanishes in faint light again, I give the lock a slight turn, and the door clicks open.

* * *

><p><strong>The start of a new day! I'm glad I managed to sneak in some interactions between Saber and Akemi! What do you guys think of their relationship? How much of it will change as the war goes on? Give me you thoughts in the form of reviews, I would love to hear them! I hope to churn out updates more frequently if I can!<strong>


	13. Chapter 12: Life Continues

**Author's Note:**

**Whoa, how long has it been? No matter, let us continue. One aspect of Fate has always been the interest point for me: the interaction between characters, specifically, the relationship between Master and Servant. No matter how common, different people often don't mesh well with each other. And I intend to show just that!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12: Life Continues.<strong>

As the morning light gleams, I walk my way down the road on the way to the city. It's still early, and with no school I wonder if the shops are even opened yet? The cool morning breeze grazes upon my skin as I look around and see a couple of people about, mostly teenagers. It brings about the question of whether they go to the same school as I do. However, the one person I expected to see is now nowhere in sight, having disappeared the moment I had my back turned locking the door just minutes ago...

"Uhh... Saber? Are you still here?" I call out into the open, whispering with one hand to my mouth. Expecting a response, I only hear the faint breath of the chilly, morning wind howling...

Darn, now everyone's looking at me as if I have a problem or something...

"...Well, maybe I do have a problem." I mutter out in a vain attempt to distract myself. It's this crazy war Masaru said before. This 'Battle for the Holy Grail'. There's one question in my mind, the one that's been popping up every time I start thinking about the war itself...

Why am I chosen?

At the thought, my hand instinctively reach out for my purse, digging for the gizmo. Hah, I don't even know why I brought it out with me for grocery shopping. But, the prospect of a war drives me mad. How am I gonna fight? Am I gonna survive? What should I do? The questions comes in droves, but none of them goes answered.

Suddenly, an armored hand grips me by the wrist, the metal in the same golden tint...

"It's not wise to use that item in public, Master." Saber gives me his warning as he appears out of thin air once again! The steps of his metal boots clinking at my side so suddenly I didn't even see the usual light show of flashes and glitters!

"Ah! Don't!"

_Ba-dump._

At the sight of his sharp eyes, now in confusion, all I can hear is the pounding sound of my own heart-beat ringing from ear to ear...

"Don't just pop your face out like this!" As I try to calm myself, I end up bursting out in annoyance, my face heating up as the words just spews out on their own. When I realize what I just did, my hands snap towards my face in an instant, covering my mouth as if I just said something I shouldn't. Of course, I didn't mean to yell, but.. the fact that Saber didn't listen to me gets me more and more upset. He just feels so difficult to get along with, because he doesn't say anything nor does he show any emotions! I have no idea on his view on things!

I.. I wish he'd just be more open with me...

Looking to the sides, I end up seeing everyone on the street now turning their attention at me. I can feel my shoulders tensing up. Hold on, are they actually looking at the knight in armor at my side instead? With that, I shift my eyes, trailing back at Saber. Instead of the shining armor that I expected. He's now standing with the ragged, leather pants from before as well as a plain, sand-colored shirt, with a thick belt running over his left shoulder.

"...I apologize, Master." With his gray eyes now looking right at me, as opposed to before, Saber sincerely give me his apology. When a man gives a girl like me an apology, with a bow and all, I can't help but feel weird. The whole situation just feels out of place.

"No, no, I'm sorry, Saber!" The more I think about it, the more I act up. And I end up apologizing as well.

"I... I just think we should have some sort of a system, so that.. you know, we can communicate and work together better."

* * *

><p>Minutes passed and now we find ourselves within the confines of the public bus. It's empty, save for a couple situated at the back seats and an elderly resting in the front. It's a nice change compared to the usual stuffy crowd I'm used to seeing every weekend. My eyes goes from the calm morning scenery of buildings out the window towards the smooth, flowing long hair of my Servant, sitting right beside me. Once again, I look to him with eyes brimming with expectation, hoping to hear the answer I want...<p>

"Well, what do you think, Saber?" I ask out once again, as I get more eager by the second!

"To stay in physical form more often for better protection, you say? It's true that manifestation and the travel between realms are lengthy..." Bringing his finger to his chin, my Servant seems to think a lot on the tiny request I gave to him. Ha ha, maybe now's a good time to tell him I was joking... I just didn't want him to be like a ghost following me around all the time!

"I suppose it's feasible, especially if it grants you the peace of mind, my Master." My servant replies with his stone-smile, with the same look in his eyes. All business. Saber goes so far as to hold up my hand as he does it. Because we're sitting side by side on a bus, it feels kinda awkward...

"Uh.. ha ha.. *Gulp*..good...G-Great!" My muscles tensing, I quickly pull back my hand when things starts heating up.

His touch was so... firm! And soft! Not that I know how a strong, well-built warrior's hand is supposed to feel like, but I kinda thought it would've been more rough!

I turn back to my Servant to see him gazing out the window, his eyes going over the many buildings that stretches up to the skies. His profile shows the me the eyes of someone filled with a certain sense of wonder, almost like a child watching a magic show for the first time ever! Slowly, the flustering goes away, and I just sit there admiring Saber's striking silver hair as he watches on with the look of someone... detached.

...he looks a little sad, lonely.

"Ding Dong!"

The announcement goes off without much notice, and suddenly I'm rushing Saber off the seat and off the bus itself. As we move, with me paying for the trip, my eyes catch sight of almost everyone aboard staring their eyes at Saber. Every single one of them glancing towards him every once in a while, even when they try to ignore him and tend to themselves. It doesn't surprise me much, though...

Saber's clothes are all ragged, brown and dirty. They're not that different from what you would find off a hobo wandering in the streets... We really need to do something about this!

And so, right off the bus we're off to the nearby boutique!

* * *

><p>"All right Saber, what clothes do you like?" Casually, I toss out the question just as the automated doors zips close behind us. From the outside shades of gray, we're treated to a variety of colors stretching from one end of the store to the other. As the chill settles, the faint smell of perfume and all kinds of artificial odors hits my nose. I can't help but shake it off before looking back at Saber, who has his calm eyes flying from one section to the other.<p>

"..."

Seconds pass and I'm only greeted by silence, amidst the small chatter of the other customers already browsing within the shop.

Oh, that's right! Saber is someone from the past, so does he even understand what I'm asking him right now? The more I think about it, the more unlikely it seems... Oh man, he must be so confused right now!

"Saber!" I watch as his eyes fly open in surprise as I jump in front of him, signaling him to stop. "Right... um, I'm sorry for not explaining things to you properly first... Uh.. This is a boutique, where... most people go to get new clothes!" At first, Saber stands confused for a minute. That dies down rather quickly, though, as his eyes simmers back to their usual, steady light. And then, out of nowhere, a small smile appears on his face. Following that, a soft chuckle.

"He he.."

He's... laughing? Why is he laughing?!

"S-Saber?" I'm so completely thrown off by his reaction that I find myself stammering, with my mind blanking out! Not only does he not give me a reply, he just keeps on chuckling to himself while hiding his face, so much that I can't help but feel my face heating up. Right now I can't help but feel embarrassed! As I stand shaking, Saber dodges his way forward and stops by my side.

"Hah.. Ahem. We Servants have been are well aware of the nuances of modern times..." The silver-haired man declares with a finger to his chin, his eyes glancing at me as he spoke. I don't quite understand what he's trying to say though. As if having read my thoughts, Saber goes back into pondering for a bit, before he starts to speak again.

"I know what a boutique is, and what it's for. I also have knowledge on the history of this town, the fact that people can fly now, and how to use a pair of chopsticks."

...What?

"...You mean you-?! And I just-!" This time, the fact that I know I screwed up really gets to me! In seconds I feel feverish, so much that I can't even finish my sentences anymore. "...Guh." As my eyes fall to the ground, I give a glance towards Saber only to see him now back to his serious self, his eyes pinning on me. In the store where we're most likely the center of everyone's attention right now, Saber just completely disregards what just happened and turns his attention elsewhere, his gaze moving on to the dozen racks set up all around us.

I'm such a dunce...

"Sigh... Let's just get you some new clothes.." I announce without looking at him as I start making my way towards the men's section, with Saber's footsteps tapping not far behind. All of a sudden, the same soft grip from before locks down on the fingers of my left hand!

"W-Whoa!"

"Saber!" I call out his name, nearly breaking into a yell as I stumble between my steps. "What's...wrong?" When I see his deathly serious eyes scanning across the room, I realize he's not joking around.

"Be on alert, Master." He pulls me close, despite my reluctance as he speaks. By the next second he already has me utterly confused.

Why is he acting like this when we're in a boutique?! What's going on?

"My senses don't lie, the presence of a Servant hides behind these walls!"

Saber, going into caution, gives me his warning. As he starts moving, pulling me along behind in his stride, I can't help but think on what he meant exactly. Among the may racks of clothes and the people by the waves, a Servant is actually here? The thought triggers off a memory from a two days ago, that of the silver golem, whose mere presence makes the ground shake and the earth split! Is Saber gonna confront the Servant here and now?! Looking at his eyes, he's looking fiercer by the second!

In our rush, we push our way through slews of clothing, going deeper and deeper into the store itself. I don't know what's worse, the fact that a fight's probably gonna start right in the open like this, or that Saber's relentless search has everyone else staring with strange looks in their eyes.

"There!" Saber cries out in part excitement and part ferocity, as we pass our way into the women's section. By now it's feeling more and more difficult to keep up with his growing speed.

Wait, why are we in the women's section?!

Our steps storming the place, Saber leads me into a corner of the store hidden away from most of the public's eye. There, right at the end, is a changing room just slightly bigger than the usual one. Kicking to the ground, he lets go of my hand. Falling back, I watch as light shimmers and Saber's unbelievably long sword appears in his hand!

"Shing..." The same humming sounds off as the blade cuts even the air itself!

"Clack!" With a pull, Saber rips the curtains clean off the rack! As the purple piece falls, something seems to grab hold of it. In swift motion, the thick drapes are pulled back, wrapping around someone's body! Flowing blond hair that touched the person's waist are tossed into the air, and in a small corner I saw a pair of soft, green eyes.

Before I can even croak a word, Saber's blade goes piercing through the air, flying right at where the figure stands!

Normally, the woman would be stabbed and plowed right through, the sword too fast for anyone to dodge. It turned into nothing more than a flicker of light near the end of the swing! But the lady manages to do it. Everything looks so natural as she shift her steps and just shuffled herself away from the sword. The blade cuts through some of the thick, purple cloth and a few drops of blood spray out from her side, staining the shiny steel, but for the most part, she dodged what would have been the killing blow!

"Ngh..." Saber sounds perplexed at what just happened. Breaking out of his stance, he re-adjusts the blade, twisting it so that it's now pointed towards the Servant's throat. The enemy Servant responded quickly at what's happening, too, manifesting a single crossbow strapped around her left arm. But, before the short blade attached can be brought towards her enemy, she is but one step slower, and ends up in Saber's mercy.

"You don't honestly think you'll be able to dodge my sword again, do you?" The fight seems to slow down as Saber speaks. Although he's asking the question, I can't help but feel as though Saber himself is unsure. At least for a little bit. Looking at the sword, I still can't believe Saber managed to wield and swing that weapon without cutting up the place!

"Are you willing to risk the life of your Master for the answer to your question?" The lady, still half-naked with her hair strewn behind her back, argues back with her own question. That's when both Saber and I realize where her left arm was pointing at.

Her weapon primed, it has painted me as its target!

"Uh..." I stand shaking, with no idea what I should do. Should I run? Should I scream? A good dozen thoughts explodes into my mind, but seconds pass and I still find myself frozen. Just as I decide to run, a sudden click catches my attention.

"Guh.. Very well. I will not risk the life of my Master." In the same low voice, I'm surprised to hear Saber's concern for me. Before my eyes, he pulls down his blade. With just one gesture, it then fades out of existence. With the Saber not against her anymore, the enemy Servant does the same, whisking away her own weapon, leaving me no less shocked and confused.

"All right, Archer, I got some more clothes for you to try..." Another person's voice sends shivers down my spine, locking me up again.

Wait a minute, this voice... No way...

"What the-? S-Saber?!" My eyes turn to see my Club President jumping at where he stands, the clothes he has in his hands flying all over! He's barely able to keep his voice down in his surprise! In his fluster, he does his habit of pushing his white-rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose before collecting himself.

"Ahem." From the back, a deep voice hollows, pushing away all of my thoughts except for the one. Masaru and I literally jump in front of our Servants on reflex, throwing our arms at all sides. "Is there a problem here?" The man asks out in the same serious voice from before. He doesn't look too happy at all.

We can't let him see what happened! Not counting the fact that they're Servants, Saber tore off those curtains in a heartbeat, and some of Archer's blood stained the carpet!

"N-No, uh.. we're fine!" Taking the lead, Masaru tries to resolve the situation by quickly brushing it off. But, his flustering kinda makes it unbelievable. And it shows on the store clerk's face.

"Yeah, he was just... suggesting some new threads for me to try on!" I cry out, scrambling down to the floor to pick up the clothes Masaru dropped.

"W-What?! No, I-! I mean, yeah, she's my girlfriend! That's why I'm here with her in the women's section!" Panicking even more, Masaru suddenly plays along. Although I can't believe he actually said that! With skeptical eyes, the clerk soon leaves us alone despite Masaru's face going redder by the second. He doesn't look like one of the regular staffs. He might even be the manager of this store. Only minutes later do things go back to normal, and the two of us give out a sigh of relief at almost the exact same time...

* * *

><p>"I'm really sorry for what happened, Masaru." My eyes to the ground, I sit there apologizing as we wait. We're in quite the pickle. Apparently, Masaru came here today with the thought that his Servant shouldn't be having armor on all the time. I'm kinda happy how much alike our thoughts are.<p>

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it." Masaru replies, his eyes checking on the dented metal and torn sheets. Making his way into the room itself, he makes sure everywhere else is clean before turning to the area stained by his Servant's blood. So drawn by his action, I find myself walking in just to get a closer look. From his pockets comes a vial of glowing blue water that looks... kinda weird, and cool at the same time!

"What's that?" Of course, I can only wonder about it for so long before asking about it.

"It's a solution for dissipating Prana." He answers, before a glance at my confused face prompts an explanation. "Well, Prana is the energy Magi needs to cast spells. Almost everything related to Thaumaturgy runs on Prana, including the substance spirits are made of, including our Servants." He continues, his words coming out quickly one after the other. Although the terms he brings up makes my brain cringe a little. "This solution cleans up tiny spills of prana, so I'm using it to wash away the blood. It's kinda like Hydrogen Peroxide." All the while, he has his hands carefully applying that blue water onto the carpets.

...I still don't quite get what he's saying, though.

Then, before our eyes, the bloodstains magically fades away, as if it's being broken down and carried away by the wind. Following that, we go out of the room as Masaru takes a gander at the broken curtain rack. Shooting his eyes from one corner to the other, Masaru takes a deep breath before placing his hand onto the ruined curtain rack.

"Swuu!" A soft humming resonates, and following it, the familiar green light shining faintly. They look kinda like snakes as they go up and around his hand, his fingers.

As amazed as I am, right now however, I'm not feeling so well. Guilt chews down at the back of my head.

Saber is the one who did this, but I couldn't do anything to stop him. As his Master, does this mean its my fault?

"...I'll just... go get some clothes for Saber, Masaru." Feeling rather listless, I just kinda toss out the words as I force my legs to stand. As if sensing my troubled thoughts, Saber moves as I do, coming to my side as I start pushing my way through the clothes and rack, bumping my way through a number of them. Without Masaru saying anything, my steps take me out of the women's section in the matter of seconds. As I look through the various shirts in an attempt to distract myself, I can't shake away the feeling in my mind.

All this trouble. The fights between Servant, how I'm supposed to hunt down the other Master-Servant pairs.. I feel like... running away from all that. I guess I still can't wholly accept this war I'm being dragged into yet...

"Is something the matter, Master?" Suddenly, the voice of my Servant calling pulls me right back to the hustle and bustle of the store, with more and more people coming in as time passes close to noon. Saber's eyes gleams with worry as he looks to me, so much that he's completely forgotten about choosing the clothes for himself.

"N-Nothing's wrong, Saber... Are you done choosing what you want?" Slapping myself into focus, I decide to push away the thoughts and return to the situation at hand. At least until we're finish with this first. Saber stares back at me for a second looking slightly confused before turning back to the racks with uninterested eyes.

All of a sudden, he just picks up a shirt, a pair of pants, a belt, socks and shoes and a thick, wooly coat from the piles to his right!

"All right, I'm done. Let's get on with the day, Master." As if everything's dandy Saber starts making his way towards the counter without even taking a look at the items he picked!

"What? Wait a minute, Saber!" I can't help but cry out confused as I dash in front of him. "Uh.. You've decided on those just like that? On an off-hand glance?" Saber only answers my question with a mild confused look in his eyes. I swear, he didn't even open up the stuff he picked up from the piles! He chose them on a whim, it's like he just picked them up in random!

"Excuse me, Master. Do you disagree with these clothes?" Saber wonders with the same voice as calm as before. He even looks through the clothes with questioning eyes when he notices me staring.

I don't believe it. Is he actually serious?

"Uh.. Don't you want to at least try them out, first?" Getting desperate, I sorta just blabber out the words as they come to mind.

"Ah, I see. Very well, Master, let us head back to the changing room." As if finally realizing the answer, he nods at me with a faint smile, before waiting for me to head back. Sigh, I give up. If Saber's okay with those clothes then I guess I'm okay with them as well. Instead of getting all stressed out, I end up dragging my feet as I start walking, feeling a little bit sullen.

For some reason, the more I think back on what just happened the more upset I get...

"Well, you guys certainly took your own sweet time, huh? A lady in red greets us with sarcasm as we arrive back at the changing room. Annoyed, her green eyes furrowed amidst her golden hair as she stands by the room with her arms crossed. Even after taking a few more glance towards her darkened and rather scary face, I still can't really tell who she is, or why she's talking to us right now.

Wait a minute, don't tell me she's here because of the damage Saber did!

"Not once did it occur to you that my Master's still here waiting for you to come back?"

Eh, Master?

"All right, all right, stop messing around, Archer." I'm caught by surprise as Masaru pops his head out of the curtains before walking towards the lady. My mind kinda freaks out as everything comes together piece by piece. Her voice is familiar. She bears the same eyes as well as the same, gorgeous blond hair. The only thing different is the fact that they flow down her head different, kinda like she changed her hairstyle a bit!

"A-Archer?!" In the end, I can't help but gawk with my mouth open as I stand, both surprised and a tad bit impressed! Her red sweater brings out a strong image, only further enhanced by the soft color of her denim skirt. Her black stocking and those cute, white shoes are only the icing on the cake. Without her weapons and armor, she looks really normal. Well, maybe far from normal in terms of looks.

She's strikingly beautiful!

Looking at her, I can't help but feel somewhat lacking...

"Yeah, sorry about that. She's just upset that I didn't tell her about my plan to wait for you..." Masaru explains as he scratches the back of his head. At his side, Archer turns away from me as soon as her eyes meet with mine. Saber, however, did little more than raise his eyebrow. Did he knew it's Archer all along?

"Saber-"

"I'll be done in a second." I try to ask him about it, but he cuts me off almost immediately, already making his way into the changing room. Diving between the curtains, he still has his eyes pinned on Archer. The eyes that hold the light of suspicion and hostility...

"So Akemi, any plans yet?" As we lean by the changing room, hidden away from the public's eye, Masaru casually tosses out the question. A simple one, and yet I can't find the words to answer him proper.

"...I don't know." Muttering out the words, my eyes fall to the ground, staring at my own two feet. Even so, the feeling of Masaru watching is hardly subtle. Why does everything seems to pull me back towards the war? It's difficult to even keep it out of my thoughts! Doing my best to push them all away, I force my head up with a smile. "Well, until the fights starts happening, life still goes on, right?"

"Yeah.. Yeah, you're right!" I watch as Masaru's frown disappear when he catches my smile. I'm just glad he's still the same guy I know from school.

"Swish!"

As the curtains flies open, the man who walks out of the changing room blows our eyes open. His silver hair combed back, Saber strides out as if he's gotten a whole new makeover! Having donned the fur coat he picked, the ends seems to sway with his every step. The gray of his A-shirt compliments the colors of his coat, which is white at the collar and brown all over. Black, loose pants brings out the nice image of contrast compared to his soft brown shoes and the gold of his belt buckle.

He looks positively more dashing in this new get-up, stunning even! With his stern look, he's just like a hero straight out of an action movie! As Saber stops before us, I partly expected fireworks to go off at his back...

Wow... he really knows how to dress himself. Now I feel stupid for getting all upset just before...

"Damn Saber, you look good!" To my surprise, Masaru is the first one to jump out with praise. His eyes practically glowing, my Club President waste no time in rushing forward and going around my Servant just so he can check out Saber's new threads from every corner. In a fit of the moment, Masaru's hand find his way onto Saber's right shoulder, the sight itself hilarious because of Saber being taller than him by a head! At the contact, Saber shoots him a glare as his eyebrows furrowed.

"Guh, sorry." Immediately, Masaru tenses up before jumping back on reflex. Fortunately, it seems a glare is all Saber wanted to convey.

"He he.." I can't help but laugh to myself when I see what's happening. "You look great, Saber!" Then comes my turn, I cry out with my hand waving as Saber makes his way back to my side. Of course, he remained unmoved after hearing me, not one reaction as his eyes turned to the sides.

"Thank you, Master." Those three words are his only reply, his voice still as monotonous as ever.

Well... At least we're talking. That alone is better than before.

Finally, with the stuff we need from the boutique done we start making our way towards the counter. As Masaru and I walked alongside our Servants, we can feel the heavy air pressing on our shoulders. All around us, people left and right are turning their eyes at us, staring. Saber and Archer's outfits are practically oozing with style and fashion, capturing their attention almost instantly! It isn't long before Masaru and I have our heads hanging from our necks from the pressure alone.

Stopping by the counter, we leave our Servants for a second to settle the payment only to be met with a nasty surprise...

"Okay then, your total is fourteen hundred dollars." The cashier behind the counter announces the total without a single stutter to her words.

"Fourteen hundred dollars?!" Apparently it's worse than I thought, as Masaru breaks out screaming as he's reaching for his wallet. I think right now he's probably regretting his decision to cover help pay for Saber's clothes. The crazy price has me stunned as well.

I mean, how the heck does two sets of clothes cost so much?!

Looking into my own purse, I only carried with me about three hundred dollars for grocery today, and even that's more than my usual amount!

"No, there has to be a mistake. We're only getting two sets of clothes, Madam." It takes Masaru a few seconds to calm himself before speaking to the Cashier again, denying our total. With utmost professionalism, the lady keeps her smile on as she double-check everything with the register, her eyes zipping back at our Servants every once in a while.

"Eighty dollars for that red sweater, seventy for her denim skirt. Ten for the stockings and another forty for the shoes..." The lady carefully gives us the price for each item, much to our surprise, pointing them out as she speak. "Hm, forty dollars for his gray A-shirt, fifty for the leather belt, another fifty for his pair of leather shoes with socks. Sixty dollars for those black pants.. and.."

"A thousand bucks for that fur coat of his. Nope, everything's accounted for, Sir. Correctly, if I might add." Again, she flashes us a smile and a bow as she repeats herself, pausing for a second before continuing.

"Will that be cash or credit, sir?"

"A thousand dollars for a coat?!" Masaru can't help but scream out at the top of the voice, and I can't say I can blame him. By now, our little commotion has the whole store chatting up a storm. When he looks to my side for answers, I find myself turning towards Saber. Having catch with what's happening, my Servant pushes himself up from the wall and makes his way towards us. Even as my eyes fall upon his coat, I still can't see why it costs a thousand dollars!

"Of course, Sir. That coat is authentic fur, imported straight from Scandinavia. In fact, it's one of our best-sellers!" I applaud the clerk for her positive attitude despite our current situation. She seems to be trying her best to make the sale. Unfortunately, I don't think we even have a thousand dollar on ourselves right now...

Behind us, the line is getting longer and longer. Some of the customers are even getting annoyed. You can tell from the various grunts you hear every once in a while. I bet we look like a bunch of kids who bit off more than we could chew right about now. As my mind races for a solution, Saber walks his way past me and towards the counter, taking something out from his new coat...

"Slap."

From the palm of his hand to the counter-top, a stack of fifty dollar notes appears out of nowhere! Bewildered, Masaru snatches away the stack and begin furiously counting the lot of them.

"Eleven.. twelve.. thirteen.. fourteen hundred dollars!" He says out in surprise as his hands slowly handed them to the lady at the register. She looks a bit taken aback by Masaru's reaction, but nonetheless gracefully accepted the payment. As Masaru returns with Saber following behind, he still wears the his face full of questions.

"...Saber?" I call out to my Servant as soon as he returned. Now he has look of victory in his eyes, despite looking pretty much as serious as before. "What just happened? Where did you get all that money?!" Of course, I'm still surprised by the fact that Saber had money on him! Is all Servants capable of making money out of thin air?

"It seems I still have access to my hoard. All I can say is that you can worry about money problems no more, Master." He replies as polite as ever, finishing his sentence with a bow. Looking towards Masaru, he seemed to have brushed off whatever that was troubling him seconds ago. With nothing else, we begin heading towards the door and making our way out of the Boutique itself. The eyes of the public still heavy on us and our Servants...

Walking out the door and out into the afternoon sun, I feel as though it's been days. We've certainly had a few days worth of excitement from this morning alone!

"So... what are you going to do now, Akemi?" With our Servants at our side, the street outside the shop is where we will decide whether we split or no. Masaru has his eyes to the skies as he waits for an answer, but I can actually see him shifting his sight towards me every few seconds...

"Growl."

The sound comes out almost at the exact same time, leaving a soft rumbling in my stomach as it dies down. It definitely locks down the sea of thoughts to the one...

"Um... How bout lunch?"

…

"Yeah, I'm starved!"

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><p><strong>The chapter comes to an end. I hope you guys had fun reading about Akemi and the others as much as I enjoyed writing it out! What do you guys think of the characters? Do you like them? Hate them? Do they feel weird and out place? Don't be afraid to tell it to me straight in your reviews! The second day of the Holy Grail War continues, and it's certainly not ending anytime soon!<strong>


	14. Chapter 13: Lunchtime

**Author's Note:**

**Strange that clashes between Servants are kept as 'incidents' by the public... This makes me interested in how far the boundaries can be pushed. Nevertheless, planning for conflict and battle between these elementals are never easy. I'll have one come up real soon!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 13: Lunchtime.<strong>

Huh, it took only a few minutes of strolling under the afternoon sun before we arrived at Masaru's preferred restaurant. Not that I'm complaining, the glare of the summer sun is brutal! I could almost feel the edges of my skin shrivel up! As Masaru and I take our seats at the table inside the cozy, family diner, the eyes of the public flicker towards us every few seconds. The presence of our Servants sitting at our side are still as overwhelming as ever. Saber, in particular, looks as though he could break the table in two with a single chop!

...well, as a Servant, he can probably do that with no problem!

"Good afternoon! Thank you for choosing to dine here with us this fine day! Here's our menu, by the way!" Greeted by a warm, fuzzy smile, the waitress, in a striking orange uniform and white apron effortlessly hands out the laminated menus to each of us. Her movements so fluid it looks like more of a routine than anything else. Nevertheless I'm impressed!

"All right then, I'll have the sauteed black pepper beef, the herb baked chicken and the thousand island salad." Before I could even react, Masaru's order came chiming through. "Oh, and a side of garlic bread and a can of coke, please." He continued with an eager smile, handing back the menu to the waitress as she jotted his order down in a notepad she had in hand.

The slew of dishes Masaru ordered for himself left me stunned as the waitress turned towards me. It takes a good few seconds before I realized, and my eyes scrambled for my order, scanning over the lines of text...

"I'll have... a plate of fish and chips and... the honey roasted brussels sprouts... um.. and a glass of orange juice as well."

As I end my words with a cough, I look up from the lines of text to a table full of curious eyes, slightly taken aback. Even the waitress flinched slightly before quickly pulling a smile over her face once more. Of course, after that, it's our Servants' turn.

"All right then, what about you two? What would you like to have for today?"

The question given left a fleeting look in Saber's eyes, twitching from his usual steel focus to one of mild confusion. As if hoping for a solution, he looks to Archer to only to see the same look reflected in her eyes. Together, our Servants turned their gaze towards me and Masaru.

"Can we order? Are we allowed to have food?" As monotonous as ever, Saber gives out those ridiculous words with Archer staring intently for the answer. Of course, this is too much, and not just us, but even the waitress herself stood stunned and at a lost of words.

I don't think she's trained for something like this... ever...

"O-Of course you can! I never said you'd miss out on lunch, did I?" As the waitress cast her skeptic eyes on me, I can't help but fluster as I give my reply. The lady in uniform looked as though she's looking at this strangely twisted situation but is too polite to say anything about it. Saber's word made it sound as though I've been the one denying him food!

Then it's Masaru's turn, as Archer looked towards him with the most biggest pair of puppy dog eyes I've ever seen! The sight alone was enough to color his cheeks crimson!

"G-Go ahead, Archer! Order anything you want! Just...stop looking at me like that!" Each word comes out in a hilarious manner as Masaru stammers with his instruction, turning away embarrassed. I would feel bad if it weren't so funny! In the end, everything feels easier when I realize how similar our relationship between Master and Servant are.

"Okay, I'll have a quarter pound burger, the rib-eye steak, the potato salad and a side of animal fries coupled with three cans of beer. Give me the most expensive brand." Saber's order kept churning out as he sat in his seat reading the menu as calm as ever. As the waitress jotted down his orders, I could see her getting a bit disoriented as her scribbling got jerkier.

Yeah, I don't think that's the appropriate amount of food for a single person either. I hope he pulls money out of thin air again...

"I'll just have whatever she's having." Archer flippantly gave her order when the waitress turned to her, her finger pointing towards me. After getting everything down, I could only watch in sympathy as the lady relaxes her tense shoulders with a sigh as she trotted towards the kitchen, as if she just got through a sticky situation. Ah well, despite the whacky scene I think she did quite well, all things considered! Before I know it, I feel a silly grin stretching across my face.

Turning back to the table, I see the same thing on Masaru's face as our eyes met...

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

...and we burst out laughing. We can't help it. We look towards our Servants with what should have been a displeased look, but truth be told none of us could have predicted how a Servant would react if we bring them to a restaurant like this. I think the funny thing is that the interaction with Saber and Archer feels... a lot more normal than I thought, and that was a pleasant surprise. In response to our childish laughter, our Servants do little but roll their eyes.

"Sigh, anyway..." Regaining his composure, Masaru then turns his eyes on me as he speaks. "...ugh, brussels sprouts? Really, Akemi?" With his face twisted into knots, he chides me for my order.

Of course, I know how bad they can taste when overcooked, all slimy and whatnot, but...

"Eh, they're not that bad, right? I kinda like how they taste..." Immediately, my thoughts slipped out of my mouth as a reply.

Well, I didn't really say it word for word. I didn't blurt out that brussels sprouts is one of my favorites...

Suddenly, the old habit starts acting up. My eyes moved from the menu to Masaru as I find myself taking peek at his reaction, to see if he's okay with my answer. Behind the glass, his eyes simmered into deep thought before they widened as if he just realized something...

"Huh... you're a.. what they call it.. a Pesco-vegetarian, Akemi?" Masaru asks out, immediately pulling out the term as he scratches his chin as if nervous or unsure of something. The word has me tensing my shoulders ever so slightly.

"Uh... what? No! No, no, I eat meat, Masaru." Suddenly I find myself denying whatever conclusion he's jumped to. For some reason, I didn't want him to have any wrong impressions about me. "My Mom always used to say I need a balanced diet to grow up right." I continued.

Weird that in that rush for words that was the only sentence I can think of.

"Huh..." The soft, almost whispered response is all I get from Masaru before him eyes seem to trail off from my face. Lingering down, he starts to look distracted for some reason. It's strange though, usually Masaru is always focused and up-to-task, even before this whole war thing started. I wonder if it's something I said?

"Um, Masaru?" In the end I can't help but call out to him when I realize he's actually staring at me. "...What are you looking at?"

"Guh, nothing!" He finally responds as he napped back with shock, quickly turning away from me with flushed looks. Saber only shrugged when I look to him while Archer chuckle to herself with a mischievous smile.

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><p>Before long, the clinking of our fork and knives rattled across the diner. As the afternoon draws on, more and more customers showed up. Every table got filled up, and the waiters and waitresses soon zipped from one end of the restaurant to the other. The spread on our table is big, almost ridiculously so. But, Masaru and Saber starts digging in as soon as the first of their orders were served, mowing down on the meat, bread and fries.<p>

Could it be that they're used to this sight? I certainly don't get to see feasts like this when I'm eating alone...

As I watch Archer dine with poise while bringing up the first bite, I lay hands on my own pair of utensils, and joined in.

The brussels sprouts are good! Though a bit overcooked, the sweet taste of honey kinda pushed away the bitterness, so I end up with this crispy, charbroiled taste that's just a bit on the sweet side. Not to mention, they're softened by the roasting, and now they're crunchier than ever! The next thing I know I'm already on the third piece, the sound of each bite ringing through my ears.

"Huh, you really like those brussels sprouts..." When my eyes open, the first thing I see is Masaru looking towards me with with a look of surprise. Still, his look couldn't mask the hint of disgust from the tone of his voice.

"Hey, these are really good!" Somewhat annoyed, I find myself immediately shooting him with a rebuttal before turning to my plate of fried fish and chips.

"Hm, she's right, these are good." This time it's Archer who's giving the opinion, nibbling down on a single sprout with flushed cheeks, and a beaming smile. "I was kinda afraid of what the food's gonna taste like when I couldn't be bothered and just decided to have whatever she's having, but this evens it out." Archer continued as her she takes another bite, crunching down with a small hint of joy despite her word so nonchalant they felt a little out of place. And maybe a little bit rude as well.

"Aha ha ha ha..." An off-hand glance towards Masaru only shows him awkwardly laughing it off before his voice starts dying down, doing his best to hide his embarrassment. I think even as Master there's nothing he can do about it. I certainly can't decide how Saber should react to every single thing. Despite being our Servants, they themselves are probably still the same people as they were when they're alive.

"Anyway, what's up with that statement before, Saber?!" Suddenly, Masaru pops up with another question, this time aimed towards my calm, unmoving Servant, who had been quietly going through his orders. Within the few minutes he's actually finished both the burger and the steak! Just as he takes in another spoonful of his potato salad, he finally raises a brow at Masaru.

"What do you mean?" His voice as calm and unfeeling as ever, Saber responds with a question of his own before resuming his meal. At his vague words, Masaru seemed to flare up even more, annoyed and slightly confused.

"I mean, why ask if you're allowed food? Why couldn't you talk to us about it before asking it out bluntly like that?"

"I did not think about it before."

And with that choice of words, the two of them started shooting lines at each other. Masaru can't seem to accept Saber's logic, though I can't say it's that easy to accept it as well. As another delicious piece of fried fish is cut up and brought into my mouth, I find myself drowning out their little fight, eyes wandering off to the other ends of the diner. Amidst the crowded tables, my line of sight is broken by the many flashes of orange zipping past my eyes...

All the waiters and waitresses are sending food to one table and one table only, the one hidden in the far back.

"Now that's what I'm not getting. You Servants don't eat, right? Why didn't you at least discuss it with Akemi first instead of embarrassing her like that?"

"I did not embarrass her. That was not my intention. However, I truly did not think of the issue before. We don't require sustenance, at least not physically. But, the question came to me as the waitress took your orders..." Saber continues his explanation while chugging down his beer, not showing the faintest sign of getting drunk at all.

"Is what we know and the truth one and the same? I had to taste it for myself."

While their words sound off every few seconds, my eyes widened at the sight of the table in the corner. Chewing down on my chips, I couldn't believe how many dishes I'm seeing. Six empty plates were set aside to make room for two new orders. Now, if this is for a family of say, four or so, it would've been fairly normal. But, it's not! As my sight rises from the edge of the table, I saw but one person feverishly gulping down one bite after another! As if she's been hungry for days, she's swallowing faster than I can chew!

"Eh, that's impossible..." I can't help but utter those words as I sat there in my seat, my hands stopping from how ridiculous the scene looks. It didn't take long before Masaru and our Servants followed suite. Catching a glance of her profile, she certainly looks normal enough. Even with the long, white hair tied up into a ponytail and her dark skin color, she seems no younger than me.

I wonder why she's gotta eat so much, or rather, how she's able to eat so much?

"Eh, doesn't brown skin indicate someone from the Middle East? The Mediterranean maybe? Who knows, maybe they all have big appetites like her." Masaru explains it all from the top of his head before finishing his last bite, surprising me with his knowledge.

I sure didn't know anything like that!

In the end, Masaru and Saber cleaned off every bit of food they ordered while Archer and I couldn't finish all the chips that came with ours. Saber even drank all three cans of his beer without a single hiccup! As the waitress came to receive the payment, Saber magically pull out another wad of cash from out of nowhere, making Masaru and I feel a bit bad for being the ones enjoying the meal for free.

"It is but one of my duties, Master." That was what Saber said when I tried to chip in what I can, at least for my side of the order. As we gave our thanks to the staff for the meal, the four of us begin making our way through the door and out the restaurant. As my steps followed behind everyone else, something pulled me back for a split second. I turn around, as if checking up on something...

There, still sitting in the corner, the girl's still chowing down even as the waitress brought another set of orders to her table.

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><p><strong>The day carries on, the war dragging itself forward. Even without any conflict showing in this chapter, I hope you guys at least enjoyed the banter and interactions between Akemi, Masaru and even the Servants themselves! Whether it's good or can be improved, please tell it to me in your reviews, I would love to read them! The day lingers on, keep your eyes out for the next chapter to find out what's happening next!<strong>


	15. Chapter 14: Smbls Of Absolute Authority

**Author's Note:**

**Dear readers, when looking back at those awesome fights between various Heroic Spirits in official Fate canon, I wondered if my select cast of heroes could ever reach those levels of intensity. So, from now on I'll do my best to match the Servants so that I can have the most spectacular clashes brought to light in the story!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 14: Symbols Of Absolute Authority.<strong>

It wasn't long before the day came to an end, the blue sky that carried the yellow morning sun quickly changed into a sea of orange. Numerous footsteps entered the streets of the residential district, that of my own, Saber's as well as Masaru's and Archer's. Apparently a little more than a courtesy, Masaru offered to help out with the bags when we left the supermarket, despite me not needing any, especially with Saber's help. 'Wouldn't be right to see a girl doing work while I'm left just standing around' he said, and so we ended up heading towards my house together.

Because of Saber's hoard, we ended up getting a bunch of stuff! And yet, not even considering the idea of letting his Servant help him out, all the bags ended up in the hands of Masaru and Saber. Not that I'm complaining or anything. In fact, Masaru's sense of chivalry is really admirable, and a tad bit surprising is all.

Within minutes we're back at my place, a small, unassuming little house at the end of third street.

"Right, let me get that." I gave out before running up to the gates. With an audible click, the old hinges creaked open, the sound grinding into my ears. "Ah ha ha ha ha..." It didn't sound so good. Probably because I don't do much maintenance. That's actually really bad when think about it, considering I'm the only one living here. In the end I could do little but laugh it off as I invited Masaru and Archer into the house.

Huh, inviting a guy into the house. Mom and Dad probably wouldn't have approved of that...

"All right Akemi, where do we put them?" Masaru casually tossed out the question as we pushed our way into the house, the four of us passing the altar as we made our way into the empty living room. When he did, Masaru's eyes immediately sharpened, and his brows seemed to furrow to form a sort of sad look on his face. I can already somewhat imagine what he's gonna say next...

"You live alone, Akemi?" The question caught me by surprise as Masaru made him way into the kitchen, putting down the bags on the side. When he came back out, he looked conflicted and worried. "Your parents are..?" He mumbled out, before his eyes widened in shock.

"...sorry."

"N-No, it's okay. They've...moved on." In response I didn't know what to do but brush it off with a smile.

That's right, I did felt sad and lonely when the tragedy happened. Things like the idea of my parents abandoning me were never far from my thoughts. But neither my Parents nor myself would have been happy if I continued being a wreck and living the way I did, moping and avoiding everything around me even though they had no fault in the first place.

In the end it was just me, afraid of going on with my life alone.

"W-Well, anyway! Thanks for all the help, Masaru." Suddenly feeling the need to change the subject, I got up from the sofa after the Servants have settled in. Turning towards the president once more, I hoped to brighten up the gloom that had taken hold of the scene.

"No problem." He responded halfheartedly, obviously still fighting with his thoughts. "Still, you living alone might prove to be a liability for you as a Master." He continued, his eyes scanning all over the place and he scrambled from one end of the room to the next.

Wait, why would he call me living alone a liability?

"Huh...why do you say that?" Confused, I find myself chasing after him with my questions. Still amidst his weird examination of my place, Masaru quickly came back down the stairwell as soon as he caught me asking.

"Well for starters, a secluded target is a dead one, even if you have your Servant at your side." Rejoining me and the Servants back in the living room, Masaru surprises me with his nonchalant mention of death. All the while he bore a serious look, unlike anything I've ever seen from our time in school.

Cold, relentless and without mercy are the words I would use to describe them. Though maybe that's just my imagination...

"With no bounded fields and no form of security, you're not just sitting ducks, but you might even be putting the entire district in peril!" Masaru exclaimed, emphasizing on each and every word, though I could scarcely believe them.

"N-No way, that's not true, is it? Everyone here in the neighborhood would get hurt, even those that don't have anything to do with the war?" I can't help crying out as I looked to Saber for some sort of disagreement, only to have him close his eyes as he leaned against the wall. With all his silence, he didn't say a single word to deny what Masaru is saying.

"Also, have you forgotten the idea to hide your Command Seals?" Raising Saber's interest, Masaru called out to me while gesturing the red marks adorned over the top of my left hand. That brought forth a look of caution from Saber.

"C-Command Seals...?" This is the first time I've ever heard of such a word. Is that the name of whatever these things are? The pair of wings sprouting from the cube in the center. Oh right, Masaru did get me a specialized glove that night just for hiding this mark from plain sight.

Wait, doesn't that mean he knew long ago what these were?

The more I think about it, the more confused I got due to the lack of information. With no choice but to turn to Masaru for answers, I see him only looking towards Saber in surprise before he's struck by this look of revelation.

"I see. Keeping silent grants you safety from the authority of the Seals, huh Saber?" The next thing I know Masaru's throwing his words towards Saber with a rather hostile tone. He gives off the impression that he's blaming Saber or something...

"Not enough to secure your death by my blade, it seems." Saber calmly replied from my side. At his words I started remembering how he managed his assault back at school the day before. Looking at the crimson mark, one of the wings is now faded.

Did something happen with the seals? Was the power of the seals the reason Saber listened to me, and stopped his attack? I thought he just decided to follow my wishes...

"Alas, that was not the case. My Master showed no interest nor the capability to participate in combat itself. I strive to keep her away from the war as much as possible. She needed only know of the Seals when it was absolutely necessary." Saber continued on with his explanation, his voice without a tinge of uncertainty. Unfortunately, what he said got Archer worked up as well, as she inched closer towards her Master.

"You could have replied without the insinuation of a death threat, Saber." Archer gave out with a glare from behind her glasses. Amidst the confusion and the Servants butting heads with each other, Masaru suddenly stepped in between everything.

"All right, all right, whatever has happened I still need to get this clear for Akemi's sake!" With an assertive yell he got Archer to back off, and turned right back at me. Scratching his chin, Masaru pondered for a few seconds before bringing his hands together in a clap as if finally deciding on something.

"All right then, time for part two on the lecture of 'The Holy Grail War'!"

After that, he started reaching for the buttons on his sky blue shirt, only to have them freeze in mid-action halfway through. A faint tint of red splashing across his cheeks, Masaru broke out of his disorientation with his head going from side to side. In the end, he ended up taking a seat on the side of the sofa once more before carrying on with the explanation.

"Ugh.. All right, those Marks on your left hand? Those are called Command Seals." From his seat, Masaru spoke as he gestured, pointing at the back of his left hand. "I thought of using my own as an example but.. they're etched down the left side of my chest...and uh..I don't think it's appropriate to be stripping before a lady." He explained, the last few words ending in a mumble.

That's right, I remember Saber tearing through his shirt with just the backlash of his attack, and the crimson mark snaking down the left side of his chest...

At that I ended up blushing anyways.

"Ahem, all right here's the important part." Clearing his throat, Masaru straightened his back before pulling himself to the edge of his seat. "These Seals convey the concept of ultimate obedience between Masters and Servants!" Getting excited, Masaru carried forth the explanation with wild gestures as his arms flew all over the place. Despite all that, I still didn't quite catch what the words meant, though. When he caught sight of the confused look I had he quickly followed up with another explanation.

"All right, how about this. You've seen how powerful these Servants are, right?" He cried out as he pointed towards our own Servants. At his words the images of the very ground splitting at their every step came into mind, and I found myself nodding vigorously. "While most are in it for their wish as well, why don't the Servants just get rid of the Masters and go about doing whatever they want, however they want to?" Finally, he presented me the question with a smile, leaving the explaining to logic and contrast.

Oh I get it.

"So these things are what makes me a Master and why Saber listens to me?" I muttered out as I hold up my Seals, my eyes tracing along the strange symbol. I don't get how these markings can do all of that...

"For the most part, they still need someone to give them Prana, to stabilize their materialization." Masaru replied, although his words only brought forth more questions. "I told you that Prana is like an energy source, right? Well, Servants may be elementals, but they are not omnipotent, and thus require sustenance to survive. As Masters, we provide them the Prana they need through a prana link." Raising his index finger, Masaru gave out the slew of information as if he's enjoying giving the lecture.

The moment he sees me understanding he gets even more excited. It's cute. I bet in the future he'd do great as a teacher!

"Now then, the reason why Servants grant obedience to their Masters is because of the sheer utility of the Command Seals." Closing his eyes, Masaru began nodding to himself in his explanation, as if reciting from memory. "These are instant spells that can manipulate your Servant to do whatever you want them to, including taking their own life." He continued, the last few words catching me by surprise.

"What did you say?!"

"You heard me, these spells can be used at any time to enhance an action from you Servant. This can range from pushing them beyond their limits to overcome a challenge or to enforce a rule onto them, whether they want to or not." Masaru replied to my surprise with an expected look in his eyes. "With the threat of a forced suicide looming over their heads, they have little choice but to obey." As Masaru finished, I find myself looking towards Saber and Archer only to see their eyes falling to the floor in mild protest.

Obviously they don't seem to like the concept of the Seals so much.

"Still, it all depends on the relationship between Master and Servant I suppose." Throwing his arms out to the sides, Masaru bobbed his shoulders as he relaxed in the sofa. "Whether they're friends or strictly professional, and whether they hate each other enough to warrant such an action with the War brewing."

"Still, my main point is that whoever has these Seals are Masters without a doubt, thus they could work for you or against you!" He warned, standing up from his seat. "So please, don't forget the glove and try to hide your Command Seals as much as possible, lest you risk getting ambushed!"

All his points made perfect sense, and I couldn't find myself arguing against anything. In the end I just get reminded of how serious and dangerous the Holy Grail War is, as well as how stupid I've been acting, carelessly prancing around with much thought. Still, I'm thankful of Masaru looking out for me...

"Sorry about all I said before. The stuff about you living alone and how dangerous it is." Much to my confusion, he suddenly starts mumbling. "They're just what-ifs, things that might happen. I just hate to leave things to chance." Masaru gave out as his fingers rubbed down on his forehead, as if he's berating himself in his mind. After a good few minutes, the still scene in the living room is finally brought to an end with Masaru making his way to the doors

"...I think it's time for me and Archer to leave." He muttered out.

"What? W-Wait, why Masaru?" At his behavior I couldn't help pushing for Masaru to stay as I scrambled for the door. The abruptness of him leaving made me feel as though it's my fault, especially with him all bummed out just minutes ago!

When I got outside it was all tinted red. In minutes it will be nighttime. Unlike when we got back, the streets are now completely devoid of people, and a weird mist seeped through the corners. All the while this suffocating feeling gnawed at the edges of my skin.

It feels dangerous just standing around out here...Is this also because of the Holy Grail War?

"Huh, I notice we're not using honorifics anymore, ah well, that's good too, I guess." Masaru casually tossed out the words as showed himself out through the main gates, his eyes going from my own to the evening sky as Archer sprung after him. "Akemi, it's late. Keep safe, we'll meet up another day." Finally, he replied to my question after wiping off the grim look and putting on a smile.

"Maybe you can come over to my house next time, it's over at the top of the hill." He gave out as he and his Servant started walking off from the gates. "Your Servant knows where it is..." Behind the gate, I found myself wondering what look he had on his face right now, because he sounded pretty down. Then, he gave me a casual wave goodbye before vanishing into the corners of the street, Archer disappearing into thin air behind him.

After a few minutes of standing about in the yard I couldn't take it anymore, and trotted back indoors.

I stepped back into the living room with my mind heavy with the thoughts of war. Saber isn't here, and the scene at my home has never been so quiet. Throwing myself onto the sofa I wondered if the television should be turned on just for some ambient noise. In a moment where I find myself dazed and lost in the sea of thoughts, my purse came into sight, and with it, and interesting thought that swelled above any other. Fishing out the gizmo with my left hand, a sort of 'Index' for all I currently know in regards to the war, my mind can't help but wander...

"Masters, huh? I wonder who's taking part in this war and why...?"

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><p><strong>Huh, I wanted to dive into some conflict into this chapter, but it seems the knowledge on the Command Seals was too big. In the end I broke the plan I had in two. For those already knowledgeable on the lore, I apologize for dragging you guys through it all again! Still, things are going to pick up after this! I was wondering if you all would prefer to read battle royale or separate conflicts more. You know what? Tell it to me in your reviews, as well as anything else you guys think about this chapter! I'll have the next update up as soon as I can!<strong>


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